In Leanna Smith’s classroom at East Elementary School Tuesday morning (July 15), third graders worked in small groups to construct robots tasked with collecting materials from the surface of a makeshift Mars.
“They’re studying the Mars terrain,” said Lindsay Brannon, Cullman City Schools director of academic affairs. “So they are designing and using the engineering process.”
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Across the hall, third graders in Savannah Wood’s classroom used cardboard tubes to build marble runs — a lesson in potential and kinetic energy. They made adjustments and re-tested their work as they went.
The projects are part of a summer STEM camp that gives students who have completed kindergarten through eighth grade a chance to strengthen problem solving, collaboration and communication skills in a hands-on setting.
Gov. Kay Ivey visited the camp Tuesday to spotlight National Summer Learning Week and highlight how districts are helping students stay engaged while school is out.
“Learning doesn’t stop during the summer,” Ivey said. “Learning keeps going, and we want our students to stay abreast of everything and have experiences during the summer that they don’t get during the regular school year.”
Now in its second year, the STEM camp is free to families and funded in part through a state summer and afterschool learning grant, along with partnerships with city government and parks and recreation. The camp runs Monday through Thursday mornings for two weeks and focuses on real-world applications of the skills students learn during the year.
Brannon said STEM lessons help reinforce academic subjects while building the kind of skills students will need in the workforce — especially the ability to think critically and work together.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Trisha Powell Crain and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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