My students need more building/creating materials in our STEAM Lab. Materials will be used over and over to challenge students' ability to follow instructions, work as a team, and solve engineering problems.
We are still building in our STEAM lab, and that is the actual point of this project. Students want to build! The STEAM Lab at our school has grown to the point that students are ready for design and production. They have asked for new projects that require more variety in our materials.
Engineers build new worlds, "Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was." -Theodore Von Karmen, aerospace engineer.
We want to support engineers-in-the-making with STEAM projects. Students have asked for many building materials and this project will bring those to our STEAM Lab. Our school held a Science Olympics program this year and students built planes, ramps, towers and other things. Science Olympics spurred their interests in creative building, and we want to meet this need.
The STEAM Lab at our school provides exploration, technology integrations and creative experiences for our students that they otherwise would not be able to enjoy. Your support will provide a wider array of opportunity for these budding scientists, engineers and artists.
My Project
Students will use Keva planks to solve architectural, and engineering challenges. These kits come with cards to get started, but we will also follow some Keva groups on social media and see what new challenges can be found. Having more than one kit will allow students to compete in their challenges. Our students have discovered the fun of being given instructions, creating a team plan of work and executing that plan in a competitive time-frame. Keva planks will help us achieve new goals with building.
Tissue paper and paints will help with re-purposing projects!
We are developing a Repurpose-Recycling Club here at our school. Students have collected paper and cardboard to build useful things like student desks, writing boxes, wallets, purses and other cool things. Using social media sites to gather ideas and You Tube videos our students have discovered they can recreate and re-purpose. These projects require problem solving skills and employ students' creativity. Some of their projects also involve the engineering skills we are working to build. One pair hopes to build a lighted, book wall display where students display posters of favorite books read this year.
Finally, Lego and commercial building kits will provide younger students will foundational skills to build following instructions and plans or schematics. Our younger students want to build like our older students but they don't always have the ability to formulate ideas to fruition. Kits that come with illustrated, instructional cards provide step-by-step access to success. Following instructions is also an important skill in all of our STEAM Lab activities. Building kits like those in this project help bridge that gap and support their learning. Our larger goal is to become builders using engineering skills. These resources will help a wide variety of students achieve a wide variety of goals.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Hunt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
