Jobs requiring high levels of training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are continuing to rise in demand. By approaching education with a focus on STEM, Skyview Elementary is introducing students to core concepts as early as kindergarten, to not only expose them to the possibilities of STEM career paths, but also to develop a set of skills that are applicable to various facets of their lives.

STEM in the Classroom

While our teachers follow the Colorado State Standards and the district’s adopted curriculum, they are encouraged to frame their lessons within a STEM lens. This typically involves interdisciplinary projects, applying design thinking to a range of activities and subjects, or experimenting with technology. STEM sparks engagement, makes learning meaningful, and embraces the sense of wonder every child should experience in school.

For example, a teacher may incorporate books into the class’ reading unit that relate to the animals they are studying in science. Then, they might ask students to base their mathematics tables on the locomotion patterns of those same animals.

We incorporate materials that engage students in hands-on investigations of STEM concepts, while contributing to literacy, math, and social-emotional development. For example, as students learn to program and code with Dash, BeeBot, and LEGO robots, they develop their own questions about how things work and answer these questions as they use the materials. With this knowledge, they are able to construct their own mechanical creations and use code to make them move. The skills students learn while using STEM materials, and most importantly, the STEM mindset, will last them a lifetime.

Annual STEM Events

STEM Day

At the end of the school year, students in third, fourth, and fifth grade are tasked with developing a project that showcases a favorite lesson they have experienced during the year. They must then create a hands-on demonstration of their concept to their peers during STEM Day. Previous student led-stations have included:

• Pendulum painting - motion

• Field scopes - observation skills

• Floating paper clips - surface tension

• Paper rockets - air pressure

• Star Lab - concepts of space

Skyview parents, local businesses, and community members are invited to join in the festivities and provide demonstrations of their STEM-related work. This is a great opportunity to expose students to various career pathways, excite their minds, and stimulate their imaginations as they gain hands-on learning experience.

Hall-O-STEAM

Captained by fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Shepherd, Hall-O-STEAM is an annual event that takes place on Halloween and has historically involved the entire fourth-grade student body. Students participate in various experiments and observations, and demonstrate to younger peers how the spooky and scary may be explained through science and investigation.

Kindercade

The kindergarten standards ask students to learn about push and pull in their Science unit on motion, but we don’t stop there. In Engineering / Technology, kindergarteners start the design process by defining the problem of creating an arcade game. Next, they prototype their designs for a game that include pushes, pulls and changes in motion. They decorate their designs with glow-in-the-dark paint in Art class. The final projects are displayed in the gymnasium along with blacklights for an authentic arcade-experience, where their peers have the opportunity to test their work.