IMSA-STEM
Tiger STEM Newsletter - FEBRUARY 2022
Science - Technology - Engineering - Mathematics
! STEM CERTIFICATION UPDATE !
Only schools receiving enough points are eligible for a site visit. A school must receive 57 out of a possible 75 points. IMSA West exceeded that minimum requirement by earning 67 POINTS! There are still a few areas that need fine-tuning and some additional documentation due to the Indiana Department of Education. On February 4th, we should learn the results of our most recent submission of documentation and hopefully begin preparing for a site visit in April - the final step in the certification process. Work toward STEM certification is very intensive and we appreciate the work everyone has done on IMSA's behalf!
STEM Certification - Domain 4, Partnerships
The final area of consideration for Indiana Department of Education STEM Certification is a Domain 4, school partnerships with outside business and agencies that help support the STEM mission.
- Domain 1 - Culture
- Domain 2 - Curriculum
- Domain 3 - Instruction
- Domain 4 - Partnerships
Having business and community partners in STEM is a win-win for everyone. These partnerships can advance STEM interest and learning by creating new educational experiences for students such as business tours/field trips, career exploration, speakers in areas of STEM expertise, and the introduction of students to real-world applications oF STEM.
STEM partnerships can also provide valuable feedback on the school's STEM program. In addition, STEM partners can also be a great resource to help teacher learning as well!
When starting a STEM partnership, it's important for the school to:
- Clarify goals of the partnership
- Determine the needs of the partnership
- Evaluate the partnership (how will we know it's successful?)
- Determine activities in which partners will be involved
- Work together and have strong communication
- Sustain partnerships
We appreciate our partners...
1st Grade Project
An example of discussions students had during the process was the importance of using the right amount of "mortar" (icing) to seal the bricks (graham crackers) on to the wall (milk carton) - What would happen if the mortar is too thin? Too thick? Students had a great time with this end of semester project!
2nd Grade PLTW!
Students made predictions and worked in groups to test their ideas and then recorded their findings in their PLTW workbook. It was messy! It was loud! But, there was lots of learning and fun. Great participation by these 2nd grade scholars!
Career Exploration!
When students have knowledge of career options, they can begin setting goals and working toward making a career a reality. IMSA teachers and staff are here to support our students as they continue to learn more about career choices!
5th Grade Review Fun!
Math Escape Room Challenge
Middle School Science Updates!
- Sixth grade is still studying laws of motion and conducting a variety of investigations to advance their understanding.
- Seventh grade finished their rocks and minerals unit and are moving on to learn about plate tectonics. To introduce this unit, students did demos of a volcanic eruption.
- Eight grade is doing investigations to understand weather and air flow, how air flows over surfaces of different temperatures, and analyzing climate change data.
To LEARN MORE about plate tectonics, click on the BrainPOP icon below to watch a short video!
8th Grade
Click icon for plate tectonics video
8th Grade
PHOTOS FROM OUR SCIENCE FAIR!
Shanelle Yarbrough 7th Grade
Shanelle Yarbrough 7th Grade
David Karonwi 6th Grade
Ms. King's 5th Grade Students
Sera Adam, 7th Grade
Community Partner Judges and Dr. Ayyoub, IMSA
Photo credits for this issue:
Alicia Jones, 1st grade teacher
Sondra Harris, 6-8 science teacherGeorgia Ross, 3-8 Math Instructional Coach
Dawn Blanchard, Community Outreach Coordinator
Justin Kirby, K-2 Instructional Coach
Our next STEM newsletter will be March 2022
Email: west@imsaindy.org
Website: https://west.imsaindy.org/
Location: 4575 West 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: (317) 298-0025
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imsawesttigers