- Henderson Middle School
- Welcome
WELCOME to The STEM Lab! (click here for more information)
The STEM Lab is a project-based connections class, that uses experimental learning and a constructivist approach! Students use crticial thinking skills to solve identified problems. Students interact with the Science and Engineering Practices outlined in the Science standards as well as participate in integrated lessons across each of the other three STEM content fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
During the five-day week, each Friday is designated as STEM Day. Students explore and share STEM riddles, play STEM games and engage in other activities like Marvelous Math!
The STEM Lab is constructed based on 8 Engineering Design steps. Students are engaged in higher order thinking activities from each content field through written and verbal expression. The culminating activity that students are responsible for completing is a module-related project based on their research of a specific topic.
Each week, students engage in cross curricular activities using one of the 8 Engineering Design steps. During the nineth week of the quarter, students explore STEM Week. During STEM Week, is when students get to choose different topics of interest to study. There is also a culminating STEM Challenge related to a book or literacy theme.
Some examples of STEM Week Design Challenges:
1. Design and build a house that represents the houses in the story The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Students begin by reading the story, holding a trial to determine who is responsible for the housed being blown down, and then construct those houses for forensic evidence.
2. Design a school bus that addresses the social distance (6ft) guidelines outlined during the pandemic. Answer essential questions related to the design (e.g., If 65 students need to ride your bus to school, how will your bus design change using the social distance guidelines?)
3. Design and build Gingerbread Houses that represent the houses in various stories about gingerbread. The gingerbread house must stand on its own for at least 1 minute.
Students also research and study STEM Careers during STEM Week.
The four STEM Modules are:
Quarter 1: The Wright Flight: Aviation, Rocketry and Aeronautics
Quarter 2: We Got Game: The Art of Basketball (design physics)
Quarter 3: Making Money Make 'Cents': Shark Tank, Jr.
Quarter 4: Marvelous Meterology: Storm Chasers, Jr.
The STEMgineers are having fun!