What is the STEM Academy?
The STEM Academy is an after school program for high-achieving 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade students at Casita Center for Technology, Science & Math. Miss Phillips teaches the 2nd and 3rd grade academy, and Miss Chien teaches the 5th grade academy. To find out more about the 5th grade academy, check out Miss Chien's STEM Academy website.
During the academy, students practice thinking "outside the box" while solving challenges in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math. The STEM Academy focuses on creating real-world problems for students to solve through hands-on, inquiry based activities.
During the academy, students practice thinking "outside the box" while solving challenges in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math. The STEM Academy focuses on creating real-world problems for students to solve through hands-on, inquiry based activities.
What has the STEM Academy learned about?
Previously, the students of the STEM Academy learned about how detectives solve mysteries. We began this unit by learning about observations and inferences. Then, Miss Phillips' father, who is a detective, presented the STEM Academy students with the challenge of solving "The Case of the Borrowed Bear." To see Detective Phillips present the STEM Academy with our challenge, click here.
Students made observations at the crime scene, and collected evidence to test so they can begin to make inferences about what happened at the time the crime was committed. Then, students visited various crime labs (fingerprinting, chromatography, etc) and collected more information about the evidence that was collected at the crime scene, and attempted to solve the mystery!
To view pictures of the STEM Academy students in action, click here.
Students made observations at the crime scene, and collected evidence to test so they can begin to make inferences about what happened at the time the crime was committed. Then, students visited various crime labs (fingerprinting, chromatography, etc) and collected more information about the evidence that was collected at the crime scene, and attempted to solve the mystery!
To view pictures of the STEM Academy students in action, click here.
What is the STEM Academy learning about now?
Currently, the STEM Academy is learning about Engineering. Each class, students are presented with a challenge, and the students must use their engineering skills and minds to meet the challenge. Many of the challenges have been taken from the Discover Engineering website. Feel free to explore this website, and try some of the challenges at home with your families!
