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CES students engage in STEM learning experiences that integrate all STEM disciplines with an emphasis on processes and practices associated with STEM.
CES students engage in STEM learning experiences that integrate all STEM disciplines with an emphasis on processes and practices associated with STEM.
Students' STEM Learning Experiences in STEM Lab, the General Classroom, Labs and Specials, & Creation Station Workshops
The STEM Program at Cahaba Elementary School consists of curriculums, courses, programs, events, and workshops that engage learners in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary STEM learning experiences. Our STEM Lab, grade level classrooms, specials classes, labs, and Creation Station, all provide interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning experiences and these experiences engage students in STEM processes and practices.
STEM Lab EXPERIENCES
STEM Lab EXPERIENCES
To begin with, all students at Cahaba Elementary School engage in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary STEM experiences and learn to apply STEM processes and practices by attending STEM Lab. Our STEM Lab is a class in our “specials rotation” along with music, art, library, and counseling classes. Every class at Cahaba participates in STEM lab for forty minutes once a week. Our STEM Lab was created to provide students with hands-on STEM experiences and was meant to serve as the major outlet for teaching Alabama State Digital Learning and Computer Science Standards. Over the years, we have developed three major goals that we hope to accomplish with our STEM Lab. First, we want to spark an interest in STEM disciplines and ignite a passion for STEM professions. Secondly, we want students to develop an awareness about the world around them by providing opportunities to engage in real world applications and practice 21st Century Skills. Finally, we want to prepare students for higher levels of learning and real world jobs by fostering learning experiences that allow students to master grade level Alabama Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards, International Technology and Engineering Educators Association Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards.
Video of Students Participating in Infrastructure Centers
7.) Video - Infrastructure Centers .mp4______________________________________________
STEM Lab is a fun and energetic class! One unique aspect of the class is that it is student-centered and teacher facilitated using Live Action Role Play or LARP. Scenarios are problem-based, authentic, learning experiences where students are engrossed in project based learning, design thinking, inquiry, investigation, critical thinking, collaboration, debate, and discussion. Lessons end with student reflection. The infrastructure unit is an excellent example of the learning experiences that are provided by our STEM Lab.
3rd Grade Infrastructure Unit Lesson Plan & Materials
The infrastructure unit demonstrates that we are meeting our STEM goals, thereby positively impacting our students. In this unit, students exhibited a sincere interest in using STEM disciplines to perform a real STEM profession, gained awareness about the world around them through real world applications and 21st Century Skills, developed an appreciation for how many academic disciplines come together to perform jobs in the real world, and acquired the ability to communicate appropriately with others, collaborate with a team, compromise, and negotiate. By the end of the unit, students had completed six missions or performance assessments. With each performance assessment, students advanced in their ability to use creativity and critical thinking to solve a real-world problem, showed improvement in the ability to manage their own learning, reflected upon successes and failures, and identified ways in which they could improve.
Students mastered a plethora of Alabama DLCS Standards and ITEEA STEL Standards as they participated in the Infrastructure Unit as well. They developed computational thinking skills by identifying sub-problems of larger problems, examining how multiple paths led to the same solution, successfully following instructions in sequence, using logic to make predictions, and tracing back instructions or directions to determine why they failed or succeeded. Students discovered how to apply the engineering design process to design and build a product for someone other than themselves. They demonstrated they could interpret data from visuals such as infographics, charts, and graphs and could explain how subsystems make up a larger system. They gained awareness of public infrastructure and the jobs needed to build, maintain, and innovate public infrastructure. They could trace the manufacturing process and the development of a natural resource into a raw material to be used as an interchangeable part in a final product. Students could discuss technology’s impact on the environment and the environment’s part in technology development. They could explain how solutions to problems are shaped by economic, political and cultural forces, and could discuss how humans impact the environment and how the environment impacts humans.
We are happy that our STEM Lab experiences help us to meet our STEM goals and positively impact our students, and we are looking forward to improving STEM Lab learning experiences soon. We recently won a grant and we will be purchasing items to create more engineering centers soon. These purchases will be used in other STEM Lab units to improve the authenticity of STEM Lab experiences and improve efficiency in meeting multiple goals and standards in one unit.
Examples of Students Participating in Grade Level Infrastructure Centers
Kindergarten Computer Programmers Center
Programming the Angry Bird Transit System
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3rd Grade Agricultural Engineers Center -
Designing An Irrigation System for Arid Regions
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1st Grade Geologists Center-
Building Models of their Planet
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4th Grade Electrical Engineers Center
Building a Electrical Smart House
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2nd Grade Structural Engineers Center-
Designing A Bridge Based on the Landscape
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IMG_3437.MOV5th Grade Industrial Engineers Center
Building a Robotic Arm
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Classroom Learning Experiences
Classroom Learning Experiences
KINDERGARTEN 3D HOUSES
Another way students at Cahaba Elementary School engage in STEM experiences and learn to apply STEM processes and practices is through interdisciplinary classroom lessons and units designed by grade level teachers. For example, the Kindergarten’s Fairy Tale Unit is an interdisciplinary unit in which students discuss weather and natural disasters and the impact on people and structures. During a reading of, The Three Little Pigs, a hurricane came ashore bringing massive winds that tore down trees and knocked down houses. This opened up an engineering discussion with students about the design and materials that each pig used to build his home. Then teachers used the discussion about the design to address Kindergarten math standards on shapes. Students brought in pictures of their own houses and shared them in small groups noting shapes used to build certain parts of the house and counting the number of each shape used to construct their house.
Meanwhile, in STEM Lab, students learned about the architecture of castles for the Fairy Tale Unit and created models of them by manipulating shapes in Google Drawings to look like one of the architectural styles.
Student Work Samples
Student Sample
Gothic Castle in Google Drawings
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Student Sample
Renaissance Castle in Google Drawings
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Student Sample
Edwardian Castle in Google Drawings
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Student Sample
Romanesque Castle in Google Drawings
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Student Sample
Baroque Palace in Google Drawings
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Student Sample
Romanesque Castle in Google Drawings
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Back in their classrooms, students learned about the jobs of engineers, architects, and construction workers and the part each job played in building homes. Then, students used the engineering design process to design and the 5E’s to construct 3D houses to test for strength and endurance using an industrial fan. Working independently students drew a blueprint of the house they planned to construct. Students then used a variety of blocks to build a 3D model of the house making sure the house featured a door, walls, and a roof. Once they were able to see how a flat drawing could become a 3D drawing, the class was ready to construct houses to test.
A Student's Blueprint
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A Student's Block Model & Blueprint
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A Student's 3D House
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Each student determined the materials that would be used in the building of their house and wrote a materials list. The teacher pulled the materials requested and allowed each student to gather whatever was needed, revise the list if necessary, and return to the supply table to gather additional materials. Over the course of several days, the students worked on constructing the houses using the materials requested. Once all houses were completed, the students wrote to tell whether or not they believed their house would withstand the wind. Finally, it was testing day. Each house was placed before the fan and a digital clock was set to a predetermined number of seconds to test its strength. As a house was blown away by the wind, the timer was stopped. The students had to calculate to figure out how many seconds the house was able to sustain the wind. From this information, the group decided if the house designed was strong or not using thumbs up or thumbs down. Students who had a weak house met with other students to determine how to redesign the house to make it stronger. The redesigned houses were retested. Afterwards the students were allowed to stand to tell why they thought their house was strong or weak and if redesigned what worked.
Students in every grade level engage in interdisciplinary STEM experiences, like the Kindergarten Fairy Tale Houses Unit. The links below are examples of interdisciplinary STEM learning experiences in other grade levels.
1st Grade’s Ocean Animals Unit
2nd Grade's What Do Plants Need Lesson
3rd Grade’s Why We Explore Unit
matthew - Angela Shorter.mp4Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Shorter, talks with a student about his design
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LABS & SPECIALS
LABS & SPECIALS
Library & Multimedia Lab
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At Cahaba, students participate in specials classes and learning labs. Specials include STEM lab, music, and art once a week for 40 minutes and library and counseling classes every other week for 40 minutes. In addition, we have a multimedia lab, grade level garden labs, and we are currently constructing an outdoor learning lab.
LIBRARY & THE MULTIMEDIA LAB
Our librarian hosts classes every other week in which she often teaches interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary STEM mini-lessons. She does this is several different ways. For example, students listen to a story in which there is a problem to solve or that focuses on a STEM topic. Then, the students go to STEM centers with Lego kits, K'Nex building kits, Magnatiles, microscopes and slides, and other building and investigation tools to try and engineer or find a solution to the problem.
On the weeks she does not have classes, she hosts flexible library time. Flexible library hours allow teachers to sign up for the multimedia lab where our librarian teaches students to use a variety of tools to expand upon classroom curriculum. Students experience what they're learning in our virtual reality lab. She engages students in computational thinking skills with our BeeBot Lab, design thinking with the Reading Robots Lab, and video making with our studio green screen, camera, and studio lights. We recently purchased a 3D printer. Students will soon get to print out Cad designs in our multimedia lab.
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MUSIC
Our music teacher is amazing. She incorporates STEM into her music classes. For example, students had to invent a new product or technology. First, they had to video a description of the product. Then they wrote and performed a commercial jingle for the product. The first video below is an example of a student presentation. The second is an example of the jingle that they composed and videoed.
Switch Ball.mp4Switch Ball Commercial Presentation
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IMG_4232.MOVSphero SpecDrums
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Switch Ball backing track - Tina Fortenberry.MOVSwitch Ball Jingle
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Jammin' with Tech
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STEAM Show
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Jammin' with Tech
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Every year, 3rd grade students learn about STEM careers in her music class. They have a STEAM performance in which families and students attend. She also uses technology to teach music. Students use Sphero SpecDrums and write music using the Quaver program. She actively pursues grants so that she can continue to engage students in STEM.
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GARDENS AND OUTDOOR LEARNING LAB
Several of our grade levels have garden labs on our campus. Grade level gardens allow students to engage in planting and caring for plants and crops and provide students with hands on experience with their living things units.
One exciting new addition to our school is our outdoor learning lab. We just secured the designs and will begin construction in the spring. Our outdoor learning lab will allow teachers to engage students in a variety of activities, such as observation and experiments, nature investigations, horticulture lessons, and geocaching.
Butterfly Life Cycles in the Kindergarten Garden
283513727_351297890250141_1535614362910331298_n.mp4Outdoor Learning Lab Plans
Garden Labs
CAHABA CREATION STATION WORKSHOPS
CAHABA CREATION STATION WORKSHOPS
The Cahaba Creation Station is a new way in which we plan to engage students in authentic, interdisciplinary STEM learning experiences using STEM processes and practices. Last year, our GATE teacher won a grant to create the makers’ space for our whole school; but our Cahaba Creation Station is more than a makers’ space. It is a place where students across all grade levels will participate in workshops with real STEM professionals. Guest professionals will be scheduled to come in and do workshops with classes in which students will learn about an aspect of the professional’s job through exploration, investigation, tinkering, and engineering. We are so happy that we will be able to provide this opportunity for students; because, we strongly believe that with the demands of a growing technologically and career-focused society, students should have the opportunity to create and explore in spaces that motivate them to learn in ways that mimic career professionals.
GATE Teacher Porshia Franklin
Cahaba Creation Station Grant
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Studens Experiencing Multi-Disciplined Engineering with
Nuclear - Product Engineer, Ben Horton
at Choose Your Own Adventure Day
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Since we won the grant last year, we have been making plans to develop our Creation Station Experience. It began by determining how we could best involve our community to create truly authentic learning experiences. Then, we hosted a Choose Your Own Adventure Day, where local professionals set up stations for students to visit to get a 15 minute crash course about their profession. In the 2022-2023 school year, 4th and 5th grade students will participate in activities at the Cahaba Creation Station. Activities will expand to 2nd and 3rd grade students in the 2023-2024 school year. Using the CYOA survey data from “Choose Your Own Adventure Day,” community makers will be asked to lead mini sessions in the Creation Station. Students who show interest will participate in a lesson or project where they will receive collaborative instruction by the community member.
Some of the hands-on experiences that community professionals will provide include culinary arts, graphic design, engineering products, flying drones, sportscasting, horticulture, photography, meteorology, and developing a maker’s market. We are currently in the process of preparing Our Cahaba Creation Station. We cleared a large room in our school and have purchased storage and supplies.
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Cahaba Creation Station In the Works
Students will participate in Workshops with STEM Professionals & Teachers
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In the winter of 2023, after the holiday break, we have parent volunteers coming in to build the storage units, decorate the room, and set up the room with the new supplies. In the spring of 2023, we will host the students’ top rated STEM Professionals indicated in the Choose Your Own Adventure Survey. We have contacted these professionals to ask them if they would be willing to do workshops. Due to the timing of this grant, we do not have any data that shows the impact of the Cahaba Creation Station on the students, but we are anticipating a tremendously positive impact. After our Creation Station begins housing activities for 4th and 5th grade students in 2023, we plan to offer a survey to students after each workshop. The Workshop Survey will ask students questions that will help us to determine if we are meeting our STEM program goals. We expect the Cahaba Creation Station will open avenues of community involvement within our school. We work hard to expose students to STEM careers so that they will see the impact these careers have on our society and to promote passion for STEM professions. The Cahaba Creation Station will provide experiences so that students will understand the impact of STEM on community services and production. All data accumulated during the 2022-2023 school year will determine plans for the 2023-2024 school year.
Students Experiencing Horticulture with
Horticulturist, Lucy Davis at the site of our future outdoor classroom at Choose Your Own Adventure Day
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Students Experiencing Pharmacy with
Pharmacist, Molly Hatcher at Choose Your Own Adventure Day
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Students experiencing Meteorology with
Meteorologist, Michael Haynes at Choose Your Own Adventure Day
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