At Mahopac, creativity and curiosity are at the forefront as elementary students embark on hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) projects. From programming robots to producing news broadcasts in front of green screens, these young innovators are gaining skills that will benefit them in the future, all while having a great time doing it.
Mahopac Elementary School STEAM teachers Jennifer Borst, Trish Huestis and Mimi Murphy recently challenged their fifth graders with a marble cauldron engineering project. Students were split into small groups with the goal to create a structure that would suspend marbles in a cup above their desk, and each group was given limited materials that they could use – 10 plastic straws, two feet of tape, one foot of string, one small plastic cup and scissors.
“Teams who have the easiest time working together tend to be the most successful on STEAM projects,” Fulmar Road STEAM teacher Murphy said. “I spent some time talking to the students about teamwork and how they could look for indicators that their teammates were feeling important and valued. I want them to view STEAM as a community of sharing and collaboration and recognize that even though we are in groups and it feels like a competition, we are all better when we can learn from each other.”
After completing the first version of their structure, students tested its strength with marbles. If students were successful and their structure held marbles, the group was challenged to improve on their design based on the strengths and weaknesses of their first try. For example, if a team had taped their support structure to a desk, they might be challenged to make something more portable the next time. If a team’s structure held only a few marbles, the group would be challenged to make it stronger, with a larger number of marbles set as a goal.
“Our students loved the engineering lesson,” Fulmar Road fifth grade teacher Claire McLaughlin said. “They enjoyed connecting with their peers and brainstorming new ideas together. Mimi had each student share something that their classmate did that helped their group. It was a great way for them all to connect and point out the benefits of collaboration and working as a team!”