By Allena Anglen, Strelitz International Academy Third Grade Teacher
Over the past 25 years, STEM education, which focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, has evolved rapidly to keep up with technological advances. With the growth of STEM-based occupations, this innovative program has become more important than ever!
A Day Full of Science, Sports, and Fun
On February 27th, Strelitz students in grades kindergarten through fifth participated in SIA STEM Day. From Bobsledding to Basketball, each event began with learning about the physics involved in the sports. Each event engaged students in hands-on activities that leveraged collaboration and problem-solving. Students drew conclusions about how the sports worked from a scientific perspective and participated in the engineering and design process— replicating the impact of potential and kinetic energy based on speed, distance, gravity, and motion. Students had fun building usable models of bobsleds, basketball hoops, ice hockey rinks, Alpine skiing courses, ski jumps, and a timeline of technology advancements in sports.
STEM Day incorporated SIA’s IB® Approaches to Learning in the areas of Thinking, Communication, Self-Management, and Research within each STEM station. As students traveled through each station, they were actively engaged, collaborating, talking through solutions, making discoveries, and excitedly engaging in science conversations. Students collaborated with their teams and incorporated new ways of thinking as they navigated through each station. Like the goals of the IB® program, the main curriculum in our elementary school in Virginia Beach, STEM education focuses on resolving problems and creating innovative solutions to proposed challenges.
How Do You Celebrate STEM?
Teachers and students were so excited to have a special day dedicated to STEM! The event fully engaged the students in each STEM activity—the combination of sports and science being a winning combination. Kindergarten teacher Jamie Baker was excited to report: “I have my first group of Kindergarten students who can explain the difference between potential and kinetic energy!” SIA Winter Stem Olympics 2023 definitely took the gold!
Want to learn more about how Strelitz Academy molds the next generation of STEM minds? Our IB® primary school in Virginia boasts our Primary Years Program, which takes students through various comprehensive classes. Check it out!
