STEAM COLLABORATION 2016
HUBBARD WOODS STEAM COLLABORATION 2016
SCIENTIST IN RESIDENCE
This year we decided to apply what we've learned from our artist in residence experiences in a new way. We invited Larry Jozwik to help us organize and facilitate an integrated learning experience for our fourth grade students. The project incorporated each of the subject areas in the acronym STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
THE ENGINEERING PROCESS
Our District Science Committee used frameworks for Design Thinking and Engineering Design to create a simple Engineering Design Process to guide our students through engineering design challenges.
OVERVIEW OF PROJECT
Basic requirements/constraints of the project:
Each 4th grade class will have 6 teams. Each team will choose a landform from the class continent.
Each Team will have ½ of a rolling table as their space. Table Teams could cooperate on a landform if they want.
Each ride must incorporate terminology associated with that landform. For example, for a mountain: the ride might be called The Denali. The cars could be called the different peaks. The parts of the ride would have connections to the actual landform: like McKinley Climb, the Roosevelt loop, etc.
Each ride will have art, motion, class soundscape and a connection to the theme (It doesn’t have to be the ‘full mountain’ it could be the ‘suggestion’ or representation of the landform.).
Light or additional sound elements could be added later..
If time remains, Teams can create game booths, food stands, benches, bathrooms, signs, etc.
PROJECT PLAN
Each group will create:
An annotated drawing with title, landform details, labels, notes describing how materials are used.
Teams will work on rides, adding detail and motion: battery or gravity powered.
Teams that ‘finish’ the main ride can add other options, such as benches, ticket booths, signage and people movers.
The soundtrack of the video is one of the soundscapes created by the students
ARTS INTEGRATION
Art: In addition to all the artistic elements involved in the main project, each group will create a poster for their ride. Each poster will have 4 parts (ride name, short description of ride, name of continent, picture of the ride)
The finished poster will be outlined in Sharpie and students will add color if time allows. Students will study historical ride posters for inspiration.
Music: In music, students will create a soundscape for their ride in Garageband.
Spanish: Welcome and safety announcements will be translated into Spanish for the riders.
REFLECTION
Each day we asked the students to reflect on the challenges and successes of the day. At the end of the week, we had the students create video reflections. Here are three groups that exemplify the overall experience.