Bear Exploration Center
Magnet Curriculum
2024-2025
Ms. Phillips' Kindergarten Class
STEAM Teaching and Learning
We are Magnet!
Bear Exploration Center is a certified magnet and STEM school. We are committed to STEAM learning through all content and specialist areas. We implement a rigorous curriculum embedded in STEAM learning. Our STEAM focus supports our commitment to high expectations and academic excellence. This Google Site provides evidence of our commitment to STEAM learning to increase students' engagement and motivation for lifelong learning.
Magnet Schools of America
Bear is deedicated to fully embracing the five core pillars established by Magnet Schools of America, which are essential for fostering a comprehensive and enriching educational environment. The five pillars are: diversity, innovative curriculum and professional development, academic excellence, high quality instructional systems, and family and community partnerships. At Bear, we are unwavering in our commitment to improving teaching and learning by aligning with these pillars, ensuring a holistic and dynamic educational experience for all students.
Standards
Grade Level
Kindergarten
Content Area
Science
Standards:
SC15.K.3 - Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive
SC15.K.4 - Gather evidence to support how plants and animals provide for their needs by altering their environment
Objective: Students will be able to build a "fence" for "5 Little Pumpkins" to sit on.
Directions: Students investigated pumpkins for the month of October. Students measured how many pumpkins tall we are, read and watched pumpkin facts videos, learned the life cycle of a pumpkin and all its parts, taste-tested different pumpkin items, worked in groups to investigate pumpkins on tables and finished with our STEM challenge: 5 Little Pumpkins. We read the story: Pete the Cat Five Little Pumpkins, and then for their STEM challenge, I asked them to build a gate/fence to hold 5 pumpkins. They were able to choose from their cubes, hash-tags, or brain flakes. Using the STEM process they imagined how they would build it, they used thier journals to create their "blue print"...they drew what their gate would look like. Next, the BUILD. They had 10 minutes and it had to be able to stand on its own without falling over and successfully hold 5 pumpkins (we used candy corn pumpkins). Then, the fun part, the TEST! Does it work? After we tested, we finished with IMPROVEMENTS! We discussed what we would change, if anything, to make our good ideas better, and if the gate was unsuccessful, why do they think it didn't work/what would they change/do differently.
