STEM Education and 21st Century Learning
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Early Childhood Program (2-5 years old)
The Early Childhood STEM program will begin in pre-school by allowing students to engage in the rigor of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content while being engaged in learning activities that investigate the natural world. Students explore technology and engineering solutions that appropriately apply the concepts of mathematics in order to understand and address real life issues and solve problems and/or challenges. There are no greater natural scientists and engineers then young children. Our program allows these inquisitive learners to learn STEM concepts through play. High quality early learning environments provide children with the structure in which to build upon their natural inclination to explore, to build, and to question.
All lessons and activities are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
All lessons and activities are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
Components
Rocketry
Countdown Begins: Students associate a countdown with a rocket launch and practice counting backward from 10 to 1.
Simple Rocket Science: Students perform a simple science experiment to show how a rocket works and to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
Rocket Rhymes and Songs: Students use rhymes, chants, songs, and creative movement to practice rhyming words.
Aeronautics
Origami Simplest Airplanes: This is the most simple paper airplane for young aviators. All that’s needed is a rectangular piece of paper.
Paper Helicopters: With some strips of paper and a few paper clips, you can create a mini paper-copter that spins like a real helicopter.
Bernoulli’s Principle: Students will create a mask that has a moveable tongue! After making the mask, hold it to your face and blow out of the hole for the mouth. The paper tongue should extend straight out.
Engineering
Learn the basics of what Engineering is all about, problems solving and the various diusciplines of engineering.
Building Satellites
Launch Your Satellites
Design a Lunar Rover
Chemistry
Instant Snow: Science Exploration
Mini Volcanoes
Color Mixing (Primary and Secondary Colors): Using water and food coloring, little chemist will drop food coloring into a clear cup and predict and observe the different colors that appear.
Candy Experiment: Floating Letters (Skittles): Students will drop 3 different colored Skittles in a Styrofoam bowl. The White “S” should be face up in the bowl. Pour cold water over the candies in the bowl and observe what happens to the candies and the “S” on each piece of candy. Record their information on a worksheet.