Standard 7

Standard 7: Students engage collaboratively in authentic inquiry during ongoing units of study.

An inquiry-rich learning environment is important in order to develop computational thinking. Students at CES are consistently involved in authentic inquiry. It’s very important to our educators that students are engaged in purposeful and rigorous learning that is rooted in real-world experiences. Teachers structure lessons so that students have multiple opportunities to engage in collaborative, higher level, inquiry-based STEAM experiences during a unit of study.

For example, students in first grade completed a PBL on animal adaptations. They observed and gained knowledge of animal adaptations through a variety of multimedia experiences including books, videos, and online live cams. Students completed creative writing assignments wherein they reflected on what their life experiences would be if they had different adaptations such as giant elephant ears or teeth like a tiger. Students participated in STEAM experiments such as Blubber Glove in which they tested the insulating properties of several materials that mimicked parts of an animal’s body. Another experiment, Bird Beaks, allowed them to test different combinations of food and tools that simulated the different types of bird beaks. Students gathered data to compare the many combinations and determine the most effective pairings. As their culminating project, students chose a human problem to solve such as: keeping a baby bottle warm, protecting your head, not being able to reach the cereal box on the refrigerator, etc. Through the use of Smashboard Edu, students worked collaboratively to construct a solution. While drawing on previously gained knowledge of animal adaptations, students identified the problem, brainstormed solutions, and sketched a diagram of a new invention to help solve the problem. After finalizing the invention’s design, students gathered materials and created a prototype. Students presented their inventions to family and friends during the PBL showcase day.

In another PBL, students in second grade studied the basic needs of plants and why it is important to humans that plants' basic needs are met. Students worked in collaborative groups to plant a seed and give it all the basic needs except one. Students observed their plant weekly and shared their findings with their peers in second grade through Flipgrid. Students kept a journal with pictures and details about the size and appearance of their plant. Students shared their learning during a showcase to other grades at CES, staff members, and parents.

During a fourth-grade PBL, students explored waves and how they are created, how they behave, and how they travel. First, students conducted a series of experiments to determine the different types of waves: solids, liquids, and gases. Then, they studied sound waves in particular and learned how ears work.

After that, students took their knowledge of waves and programmed Spheros to behave like sound waves. Next came the fun part. Our school lunchroom is incredibly loud. Students wanted to devise options that could be utilized to make our lunchroom less noisy. Using our knowledge of waves and SmashBoardEDU, students researched materials and strategies to dampen sound waves and designed lunchroom solutions that were practical as well as creative. Once models were built of each design, students presented their findings and designs at the Talladega County STEAM Showcase.

Fourth-grade students became junior detectives as they participated in an authentic, hands-on activity to learn how to make evidence-based inferences. The junior detectives explored various crime scenes displayed in our STEAM lab. In collaborative teams, students took pictures of the evidence, gathered data, and analyzed their findings with fellow detectives within the group. Using this information, they developed reasonable inferences regarding the crime scenes. Each team was responsible for developing a presentation, using the platform of their choosing, to share their inferences of how each scene was connected and who or what was responsible. A grading rubric was utilized to assess the students' learning of the standards.

Strengths

We offer our students many opportunities for real-world exploration and application of STEAM-related learning experiences. We develop and practice 21st Century Skills, STEAM skills, and Computational skills during Problem Based Learning Units of Study.

Sustainability

Our students’ curiosity and engagement has grown since we began our focus on STEAM at school. We continue to level up our lessons to make them more authentic and relevant for the children.

Opportunities for Improvement

As we continue to improve, we will continue to look for new ways to make our learning experiences even more relevant for our children. We will look for more and better ways to engage our students in collaborative groups during activities. We would also like to see our students reflect on their peers more often during PBLs. It could be beneficial to our students to increase our use of peer evaluation forms within the learning experiences.

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