Embedded Files
Students demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and express their conclusions through elaborated explanations of their thinking.
ST1.5 Narrative
ST1.5 Narrative
Strengths
Lincoln Elementary School is committed to providing students not only with problem based learning experiences but platforms to share their learning with others. Teachers hone students' STEM literacy skills throughout their years at LES, starting in Kindergarten with leadership jobs such as class greeters and teacher assistants. Students learn to communicate clearly with others while making direct eye contact. Students develop habits of mind that aid them in prioritizing work and play for a balanced lifestyle. Teachers utilize performance-based rubrics in order to share timely feedback with students to improve these skills as they progress from project to project and grade level to grade level. The focus on student development of STEAM Literacy and solution design is seamless throughout the building while content, driving questions, and rubrics evolve.
Lincoln Elementary School students are provided with opportunities to showcase STEAM learning at numerous regional/state competitions each year. In 2018, student projects completed and placed at the both the regional and state levels of the Alabama Council for Technology in Education’s Technology Fair. Students also demonstrated their learning at the Talladega County Innovative Learning Showcase where their projects have placed in all areas, including winning the Superintendent's Award. Then they used effective communication skills as they presented their projects to parents, community members and other students in the school.
Weaknesses/Challenges
As part of Lincoln's learning culture, students are provided with many opportunities to assess their performance through a variety of formats. There are certain school-wide surveys that are typically only seen by the Leadership Team. The involvement of our teachers will help make the ownership of data more visible in the school.
Action to Sustain Strengths/Action to Address Weaknesses
To sustain this strength, teachers will continue to work toward students strengths and weaknesses and create projects to assist students in succeeding within the classroom and beyond. Through these projects, they allow learners to apply multiple intelligences in completing a project. To continue the growth of STEM literacy skills, Lincoln Elementary will continue to encourage students to share their presentations both verbally and digitally.
To address the weakness, data collection from school-wide surveys will be shared and analyzed with teachers more readily. Teacher input and feedback will be used in the decision making process in regards to our STEAM programs and tools.
Key Exemplars
Key Exemplars
TCBOE Innovative Teaching and Learning Showcase
TCBOE Innovative Teaching and Learning Showcase
“Code”plete and Putter Mathness!
“Code”plete and Putter Mathness!
Lincoln Parks and Recreation director asked fifth grade students to design and create prototypes of a mini golf course to add to the Lincoln Sports Complex. After designing using Hummingbird and Spheros, students presented their completed mini-golf holes to the community during Digital Learning Day and had participants fill out a survey on their thoughts about adding it to the sports complex.
This project was also taken to the TCBOE Innovative Learning Showcase where it won 1st place in its division, as well as the Superintendent's Award. These awards are not given solely based on the project entered, but on the communication and explanation of the process as well.
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Water Crisis
Water Crisis
In this lesson, students identified the distribution of freshwater and saltwater on Earth and constructed graphical representations depicting the amounts and percentages of each found in different reservoirs. Through Level Up Village and a partnership with students in another country, Zimbabwe, students were able to discover similarities and differences in water use and water accessibility in other parts of the world. Students communicated with their partner country via video and messages on the Level Up Village student portal. Students collaborated with each other in the classroom to create water filters. They then applied the information that they learned about the global water crisis to devise a solution to Zimbabwe’s water problem by creating a water filter.
Here Comes the Sun
Here Comes the Sun
Students took on the role of engineers and designed a functional sundial for our school's outdoor classroom. They researched the importance and characteristics of the sun and discovered what causes day and night. Students evaluated the lengths of shadows at different times of the day. They learned how a sundial works with the Earth’s rotation to tell time. In groups, students designed, created, and tested their own sundial for the garden. Each third grade classroom competed by presenting their sundials to fifth grade students and teachers. The winning sundial from each classroom was displayed in our outdoor garden.
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Handy Helpers PBL
Handy Helpers PBL
At the beginning of this lesson, students worked collaboratively to design a hot new toy that could be 3D printed and marketed. The project was later changed to tools that could help people with disabilities, due to our students seeing the needs of others in our school. These 5th grade students interviewed the special education department and designed rough drafts of tools that they felt would benefit others. They used the Blockscad 3D program to recreate the original prototypes with their new purpose in mind. They took their finished products to the AETC Tech Fairs at JSU and at the state level where they won 1st place in their divisions. They also took the project to the TCBOE Innovative Learning Showcase where it won 1st place as well as the Superintendent's Award.
Regional/State Competitions
Regional/State Competitions
Engaging Elementary Engineers Competition
Engaging Elementary Engineers Competition
Through the E³ Program, students in grades 3-4-5 at Lincoln Elementary School are involved in hands-on science and engineering activities that promote critical thinking, teamwork, and interest in STEM occupations. On the day of E³, which will at the University of Montevallo, teams of students will apply their understanding of STEM concepts to solve and design construction challenges. The 2018 E³ Winter Games challenges focus on designing a rescue apparatus, constructing a vehicle for a downhill dash, and coding to navigate a Sphero through a winter wander land and provide an element of mystery to truly Engage Elementary Engineers.
Technology Competition
Technology Competition
LES has participated in the AETC Regional and State Technology Competitions for the past ten years. During this time, students focus on projects that help impact the world. Each year, over a 5 month span, students work through the engineering design process to create self-directed projects. There is ongoing opportunities for revision and feedback during this process. The students are required to create a notebook documenting their process and explain their thinking to the judges from start to finish. Students practice their presentation skills weeks in advance including eye contact and shaking hands when introducing themselves. During the presentation at competition, students are asked questions about their presentation. Judges use rubrics to score the presentation and their finished products.
Project Presentations
Project Presentations
Walk Across America
Walk Across America
For years, LES has participated in a school-wide PBL called Passport Week. During this time, classrooms were transformed into different countries around the world. Over time, this PBL has changed to focus more on Social Studies content standards. Kindergarten focuses on their community, 1st grade on Alabama, 2nd grade on the boarding states, and 3-5 grade on extended states. Students are presented with an entry event and driving question. A need-to-know list is created with the students for inquiry based learning. Throughout the PBL, students research, problem-solve, collaborate, and create. In the end their classrooms are transformed into the state with student products and student created presentations.
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