Family STEAM Learning
Created by the students and faculty in the Early Childhood Education Program at Western Washington University in partnership with Kitsap Children's Museum
Grant funding provided by WWU Social Justice and Equity Grant
Project Overview
Students in this program are learning to be teachers in early childhood learning centers (birth - 5) and K-3 classrooms. A value and goal of the program is for all future teachers to be able to:
Connect with families in respectful ways
Recognize and honor families' knowledges and cultural practices
Design learning experiences that connect with family expertise, experience, and needs
To suppor this goal, the Kitsap Children's Museum and Faculty in the Early Childhood Education Program are partnering to provide volunteer experiences for future teachers to learn more about the Kitsap community and students are applying what they are learning to create at-home science experiences any family can do!
Try it at Home
Check out the plans below created by our classes.
Plans will be updated regularly over the year
Nest Engineering!
Have you ever wondered how a bird nest stays up in a tree
during those big gusts of wind? For this at-home learning activity, you will study birds' nests around your community and engineer your own!
Click on the link below to see a digital copy of the activity
Bridge Builder Challenge!
Explore the principles of balance, stability, and properties of matter while engineering your own bridge with materials found in your home!
Click on the link below to see a digital copy of the activity
Design and Test your Roller Car
In this experience your family will engineer a vehicle using common household items, including those that might end up in the recycling or garbage.
Click on the link below to see a digital copy of the activity
Natural Architects
Find inspiration in nature to create your own balancing designs.
Click on the link below to see a digital copy of the activity
Mighty Towers
Build, topple, tinker, learn! Experiment with stability and foundation as you try out ways to build with a variety of materials found in your home and community
Click on the link below to see a digital copy of the activity
Tinkering with Communication Devices
In this activity, try taking apart old electronic devices that we use to communicate to uncover all the parts and pieces and make predictions on how they work together
Click on the link below to see a digital copy of the activity
We'd love to hear from you!
Project Contact
Charlene Montaño Nolan, PhD
Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education
Western Washington University
nolanc2@wwu.edu