That's STEM-tastic!
Lower Merion School District's Elementary STEM Newsletter
That's STEM-tastic!
STEM could stand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math or Students and Teachers Energizing Minds. Either way, it means amazing opportunities are being provided for elementary students across our district! "Stemming" from the district's partnership with Arcadia University, teachers in all 6 elementary schools are infusing elements of STEM into their lessons. From design challenges, to MakerSpace projects, to coding, robotics and more, students and teachers are working together to build creative, innovative learning experiences that are simply STEM-tastic!
STEM and Literature Connection
In each issue of That's STEM-tastic, a picture book suggestion is offered so that families can explore STEM ideas through a connection to literature. This issue's offering is inspired by the recent accomplishments of NASA. In November, the NASA InSight Lander arrived on Mars. NASA also announced partnerships and preparations to return to the moon. In December, the International Space Station received new crew members and a rocket full of supplies, too. That's a lot of amazing STEM news from NASA!
Brian Floca is a Caldecott Author who visited Cynwyd Elemntary School a few years ago. In his book, Moonshot, he tells the story of NASA's first visit to the moon in 1969. With language and pictures perfect for young readers, Apollo 11's journey is shared again to inspire the next generation to the moon and beyond.
Elementary First Lego League Teams Begin Meeting
The 17 week program consists of three components. First, students will work together to complete a project to identify a problem and propose a solution associated with long-term space travel. The second component is to build and program robots to complete the missions for the robot games. The third component is the development of the program's core values: discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun.
Belmont Hills' First Lego League Team
Cynwyd's First Lego League Team
Gladwyne's First Lego League Team
Merion's First Lego League Team
Penn Valley's First Lego League Team
Penn Wynne's First Lego League Team
Junior First Lego League Opportunity for Kindergarten, First, Second and Third Graders
Lower Merion High School's Technology and Engineering Club will host a Junior First Lego League Expo in March and are looking for teams to register for the event. Teams can be 2-6 children that will work together to complete a robotic Lego model and a "show me" poster to demonstrate their knowledge of an environmental or social theme. This year's theme is "Mission Moon."
For more information about Junior First Lego League, the expo or to register a team for the event, please visit the new Lower Merion Junior First Lego League website at lowermerionjrfll.org. At the time of publishing, there were 7 team spots still available.
STEM Activities at Home
One way to explore space from home is to visit NASA's Kids Club. The site has games and activities, but also links to a wealth of information about NASA's endeavors.
STEM activities at home don't have to include fancy technology or special materials. Use everyday materials like cereal box cardboard, foil, scissors, tape, paper, and crayons to create out-of-this-world Mars Rovers, space shuttles, or satellites. Use your creativity and paper and pencils to create a musical, poem, picture book or short story about space exploration. Visit this Jet Propulsion Laboratory Website for even more family fun!
Space-inspired STEM Events In and Around Philadelphia
Visit Fels Planetarium and watch their presentation of "To Space and Back" to go on an incredible journey through our universe. (Photo Credit)
For those that don't mind the cold and want to enjoy some stargazing, check out Muddy Run Observatory's Winter Solstice Celebration on December 15, 2018 at 6 pm.
Want to see an astronaut in person and hear about his amazing adventures? Then get tickets to see NASA Astronaut Terry Virts on January 17, 2019 at the Merriam Theater. Virts is a former commander of the International Space Station and shares photos and tales of his adventures in space. Presented by the Kimmel Center, this evening with an astronaut is sure to be an out-of-this-world experience!
Picture Perfect STEM
Published by the National Science Teachers Association, Picture Perfect STEM is a wonderful collection of STEM lessons connected to a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Teachers share the stories and then students participate in hands-on activities that bring the concepts in the books to life. The standards-based lessons include exploration of man-made and natural creations and develop creativity, communication and collaboration.
The Standards for Mathematical Practices
The 8 standards are:
1) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2) Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3) Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4) Model with mathematics.
5) Use appropriate tools strategically.
6) Attend to precision.
7) Look for and make use of structure.
8) Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
The new report cards in grades 3-5 will highlight students' growth related to these Mathematical Practices in addition to their growth related to the content standards. Next year, information on these standards will be included in the report cards for kindergarten, first and second grades.
Math Mindsets
Want To Keep Up with STEM in LM?
Twitter users are invited to follow @ElemLMSTEM to learn about the cool STEM activities that are happening in the elementary schools. Multiple teachers at every building will begin using this account to highlight their innovative approaches to STEM integration.