Samuel Huntington School PS 40 Winter STEM Fair inspired by the STEM Leadership Alliance Summit!
I had the pleasure of attending the STEM Leadership Alliance Conference in Orlando along with a team from my school. This highly engaging conference was the springboard for the launch of a STEM movement at my school. The Samuel Huntington School PS 40 Queens, faculty began developing STEM and PBL units of study aligned to our ELA curriculum since July. During our weekly summer planning team meetings, we decided that we would host 2 STEM fairs per year to showcase our projects and experiments across the year from 3Kindergarten through Grade 5. Launching STEM at my school has truly re-energized teachers and scholars when it comes to teaching and learning. We expect that the movement will grow over time. For our first year, we have launched STEM in many ways including, by adding a STEM cluster teacher serving all grades using the CS4All curriculum, Girls Who Code After School Club, Boys in Charge STEM Club, STEMTASTIC Fridays where every class engages in the STEM unit that is aligned to their ELA unit of study for seamless learning. Each STEM unit also includes a trailblazer of color in that STEM industry. We added this crucial component because if our kids can see it, they know they can be it. In the days leading up to our first STEM fair, I witnessed early childhood scholars bringing in their projects that they worked on with great pride. In the upper grades every Friday, scholars researched community issues and developed possible solutions. Scholars in all grades worked together in teams and presented their projects and experiments with great confidence.
Here is a summary of some of the projects:
3K - Three Little Pigs Challenge, Scribble Bots, and Slime challenge
Grade 1 - Animal Habitats
Grade 2 - Social Agency: Design Your Own “Responsible Citizen T-shirt” Campaign & Conflict Resolution PSA: Camera, Lights, Action! Public Service
Grade 3 - Energy Efficient Model Homes
Grade 5 - Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs - Group 1: Water Filter, Group 2: LCJ Garbage Disposal, Group 3: CFS Night Light, Group 4: Amazing Portable Shed, Group 5: Poopy Scoopy, Group 6: AJ Door Stopper, Group 7: Emergency Flashlight, Group 8: Mr. Trash Dispose, Group 9: Clean Machine, Group 10: CBST Homelessness Kit, Group 11: Gun Tracker, Group 12: Nature Bot
At PS 40 we are very proud of the work of our community for our first STEM Fair. We are reviewing feedback from faculty and visitors to make our STEM Expo in May even better.
Written by Alison Branker, Principal of Samuel Huntington PS 40 Q
| 
