Colham Ferry Elementary School Introduction Video

The STEM vision at Colham Ferry Elementary School is to provide a challenging 21st century learning environment through the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Colham Ferry students will:

1. Understand and apply the engineering design process across all content areas

2. Focus on the problem-solving process

3. Reflect upon their work

4. Seek improvements and produce revisions of their work

5. Make real world connections

At Colham Ferry Elementary School, we take pride in teaching the “whole child.” We believe that STEM is a vital part of providing a well-balanced educational experience. The STEM culture is apparent in our classrooms through the seamless combination of math and science standards. STEM also influences the other aspects of school life at Colham Ferry, including the humanities (literacy and social studies), fine arts, and PBIS programs.

STEM Culture Twitter Post

Colham Ferry Elementary School has transitioned to a school culture completely driven by STEM. All decisions are filtered through a STEM mindset. Teachers examine their curriculum and infuse the various components of STEM into their units of study. Students use inquiry skills daily to go beyond the grade level standards, applying what they have learned to real world experiences at home. Parents have supported the STEM initiative at Colham Ferry through fundraising and material donations. Even the physical environment at Colham Ferry has been affected by the STEM culture through the integration of a STEM lab, various garden areas, a greenhouse, and a WeatherSTEM station.

Total Students: 554

Females: 44.2%

Males: 55.8%

Gifted Students: 17.0%

Special Education Students: 7.0%

English Language Learners: 4.5%

Minority Students: 6.7%

Economically Disadvantaged Students: 11.0%

All students (K-5) are STEM participants at Colham Ferry Elementary.

The students at Colham Ferry Elementary School are exposed to non-traditional careers, specifically STEM related careers, in several ways. During the school year, career lessons are provided by the school’s media specialist and counselor. Teachers often invite guest speakers to their class to talk about their careers and training. CFES also hosts a “Career on Wheels” event coordinated by the school counselor to make the career exploration experience hands-on and interactive. To foster vertical alignment, a new relationship between Colham Ferry and the secondary schools has begun this year. Students from Oconee County High School recently taught CTAE-connected lessons to each of the grade levels that directly connected to a particular math or science standard. CTAE students also participated in curriculum night events at CFES.

STEM integration is designed into all subject areas using the universal Engineering Design Process and intentional cross-curricular grade level planning for grades K-5.

All students in kindergarten through fifth grades participate in a five-day, STEM-infused challenge in the STEM lab as part of their weekly activity rotation. Additionally, students participate in numerous activities that promote STEM during and after school.

Our STEM related extracurricular activities include:

• STEM Curriculum Night - school wide event where parents learn and experience the STEM curriculum and activities firsthand with their children

• Science Olympiad - local and state science team competition

• Camp Invention - STEM camp for students during the summer

• Literature Day with a STEM theme

• School-wide STEM literature challenges

• Various STEM Clubs - extracurricular opportunities for our students, including Robotics Club, Jr. Robotics Club, Mustang Racers, and a STEM Cooking Club

• Mustang Trotters - extension of the physical education classroom and standards

• Mustang Academy - instructional extension program for rising kindergarten students that focuses on reading, mathematics, and STEM skills

• 4-H - partnership with the local UGA extension office

• Stock Market Game - economic mathematics competitions

• Math League - local mathematics competitions and challenges

• Science and Engineering Fair - local science and engineering competition

• MTV (Mustang Television) - CFES broadcast morning show

Kindergarten Example

Kindergarten students collected, sorted, and counted items left on the playground over time, which connects to the standards requiring students to be able to collect data and understand graphs. Rigor was evident when kindergarten students used their data to create and interpret their own graphs in their STEM journals. The students collected data weekly, created their graphs using the data, and wrote their observations in their STEM journals. They then used this data to make an action plan of next steps to improve this environmental problem on our playground.

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First Grade Example

First grade students were able to think like scientists by observing and recording information about their playground environment. Students collected data to show playground temperatures and were able to draw conclusions about the temperature and number of mosquitoes present on the First Grade Playground. Through readings, whole group research, and data analysis, children worked together to find a plausible solution to their First Grade Playground Problems. Through students’ understanding of animal needs, geometry, and composite shapes, students were then able to create bat house prototypes. In addition, students also used their knowledge of plant needs, numbers, measurement, addition, subtraction, and fair shares to create a garden designed to attract bats to their newly installed bat house and minimize the number of mosquitoes in their playground environment.

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Second Grade Example

Second grade students began by looking at seed packets and the instructions for planting on the back. Using their knowledge of the plant life cycle, they planned a garden that will be in bloom spring, summer, and fall so pollinators will have nectar in the three seasons of the school year. Students drew a garden plot for all seasons in their STEM journals keeping in mind sun/shade, when the seeds should be planted, days to germination, spacing, depth of seeds and how tall the plants will grow.

2^nd Grade - 4^th Quarter Plans

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Third Grade Example

Third grade students used their estimation skills for a fundraiser, then used further math skills to determine supply needs and prices to create craft ornaments to sell. Students worked together to create goat ornaments to sell to raise funds in order to purchase goats through Heifer International for African families and for a donation to Oconee’s local Food for Kids program. Students calculated the amount of money that was raised from selling ornaments and determined how many goats will be purchased. Finally, students determined the amount of money we would be able to donate to Oconee’s Food for Kids.

Beatrice’s Goat Ornament Activity

Beatrice’s Goat Pacing Guide

Beatrice’s Goat PBL Unit Plan

Fourth Grade Example

Fourth grade scientists tracked weather data on a daily basis. They manipulated the data by converting decimals to fractions. They also worked at adding and subtracting decimals to find total amounts of monthly precipitation. These scientists are also working as young engineers by using Tinkercad to plan and design a self-sustaining irrigation system. This system will be used to supply water to our CFES gardens as part of our PBL to be responsible gardeners.

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Fifth Grade Example

Fifth grade students were launched into an electricity unit by integrating literacy. We kicked off the unit with a read aloud, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Students then worked as engineers to complete a series of challenges that required them to construct a circuit that would power an entire village. However, it had to be a simple series circuit. Next, students had to problem-solve, after an unexpected storm in which a tree fell. These young engineers then had to reconstruct a new circuit that would still retain power at some of the homes. Finally, students used the knowledge they acquired from the activity to answer a CER. The CER was an application question that was a real-life problem/solution scenario involving holiday lights.

Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Electricity Activity

STEM Activity Example

Students participated in “The Great Georgia Pollinator Census Count” and then used the data from the last 3 years to determine what our next steps should be for our CFES Pollinator Project. Students noted that the number of native small bees declined and began to investigate why this was happening. After a visit from Dr. Brett Nolan, a local entomologist, students realized a need for native bee houses on our CFES school grounds. Third graders have been designing and building bee houses and Dr. Nolan has been evaluating the designs. These houses will be placed in the gardens this spring.

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