Thanks to a major donation from Jackson Community Foundation & Hirst Foundation, Elm Plating, Crossroads Convenience #2, MIS Cares, and CP Federal we were able to fund the STEAM Maker Mobile Lab project.
The STEAM Maker Mobile Lab (a makerspace that inspires integrative learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) is designed to function as a school-wide resource to support project-based learning lending equipment and supplies for inquiry, experiments, prototyping, designing, computing, creating, collaborating, and building. The students engage spatial skills and bring the ideas of their imagination into the real world. They also take things apart, analyze, draw and plan their projects. Through the course of their education, all of our students will continue to get rich experiences with the visual arts, woodworking, computer programming, physical computing, electronics, 2D and 3D digital design and fabrication and the engineering design process. All activities will support the spirit and mission of student-generated independent projects.
High quality, well-facilitated STEAM activities encourage youth to be curious, ask questions, and make connections with the world around them; essential skills for success in life and in our global economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEAM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past. STEAM is the future—the technological age in which children live. STEAM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. Innovation leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy. This innovation and science literacy depends on a solid knowledge base in the STEAM areas. A curriculum that is STEM-based has real-life situations to help the student learn. Making math and science both fun and interesting helps the student to do much more than just learn. STEM education breaks the traditional gender roles. The STEAM Maker Mobile Lab will be mobile, so it can be used by all three elementary buildings and any after school clubs and activities. In all, more than 1200 students will be engaged with the resources of the lab.
Goals and Objectives:
The STEAM Maker Mobile Lab (a makerspace that inspires integrative learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) is designed to function as a school-wide resource to support project-based learning lending equipment and supplies for inquiry, experiments, prototyping, designing, computing, creating, collaborating, and building. The students engage spatial skills and bring the ideas of their imagination into the real world. They also take things apart, analyze, draw and plan their projects. Through the course of their education, all of our students will continue to get rich experiences with the visual arts, woodworking, computer programming, physical computing, electronics, 2D and 3D digital design and fabrication and the engineering design process. All activities will support the spirit and mission of student-generated independent projects.
High quality, well-facilitated STEAM activities encourage youth to be curious, ask questions, and make connections with the world around them; essential skills for success in life and in our global economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEAM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past. STEAM is the future—the technological age in which children live. STEAM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. Innovation leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy. This innovation and science literacy depends on a solid knowledge base in the STEAM areas. A curriculum that is STEM-based has real-life situations to help the student learn. Making math and science both fun and interesting helps the student to do much more than just learn. STEM education breaks the traditional gender roles. The STEAM Maker Mobile Lab will be mobile, so it can be used by all three elementary buildings and any after school clubs and activities. In all, more than 1200 students will be engaged with the resources of the lab.
Goals and Objectives:
- Engage students in-depth STEAM activities that are aligned with the core standards.
- The curriculum will be multidisciplinary, subject-integrated problem-based-reality lessons with hands-on projects are the norm.
- Create a learning community within a classroom.
- Allow students to see how they use science, technology, engineering, art and math in their daily actives.
- Use STEAM activities to increase progress on standardized assessments.
- Preparing students for college and career.
Mobile STEAM lab in Western Schools gives students hands-on learning
By J. Scott Park | [email protected]
on May 16, 2017 at 11:36 AM, updated May 16, 2017 at 11:37 AM
By J. Scott Park | [email protected]
on May 16, 2017 at 11:36 AM, updated May 16, 2017 at 11:37 AM
STEAM Maker Mobile Lab Equipment:
Ozobot Classroom Kit (Ozobot.com or Amazon $54.95each or $1800.00 kit)
Ozobot Classroom Kit (Ozobot.com or Amazon $54.95each or $1800.00 kit)
- Find lessons, workshops and activities for everyone - from Ozobot newbies to experienced users.
- The tiny tinker robot is for use in any grade level, covering many STEM and other topics, created by the Ozobot family and many enthusiastic teachers.
- Our STEM education program presents an innovative way to teach subjects like programming, math and science in classrooms, after-school clubs or at home.
- See kids become engaged and inspired when topics come alive with the help of Ozobot.
- Encourages creativity, fine motor skills, interaction, playful experimentation
- Provides relaxation and sensory stimulation
- Pieces connect easily and POP! apart
- Makey Makey is an invention kit for the 21st century. Turn everyday objects into touch pads and combine them with the internet.
- It's a simple Invention Kit for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between.
- You build structures by simply stacking the planks.
- No glue, no connectors.
- They can be stacked upright which looks like it would be unstable as a house of cards, but even this type of structure is surprisingly stable.
- Build big with your friends – The Crazy Scientist kit is massive and enough to build a replica of anything.
- It features 808 connectors in two random colors, 100 extra rigid straws, a neat big black collectors bag and an instructions manual.
- Start creating your own mad scientist lair full of weird and wobbly inventions, or why not try to build one of the seven wonders of the world!
- Time to go Pro – The Inventor kit is our second biggest kit perfect for testing more advanced creations.
- It features 248 connectors in two random colors, 50 colorful and rigid straws, a nice blue collectors bag and an instructions manual.
- Create a bird, a huge mechanical snake, or a replica of the pyramids of Giza.
- Take a trip in your imagination with Straws and Connectors. Build a boat, design a rocket, create a raft or construct a fort.
- The ingenious design is intuitively easy to use.
- The straws are flexible; the connectors can join 6 straws together at 90º angles. Cut the straws for even more design flexibility.
- Get “little engineers” building! Hands-on construction sets with spinning gears build early STEM skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and perseverance.
- Giant tub of colorful, spinning gears will set young imaginations in motion.
- Set encourages kids to imagine and build creatures, towers and more.
- Open-ended components mean there’s no wrong way to build.
- All components work with other Gears!Gears!Gears!® sets.
- A new construction toy which teaches both boys and girls spatial thinking and lets their imaginations run wild!
- Brain Flakes will improve the coordination and dexterity of young children, keeping both their minds and bodies active!
- Intro to Simple Machines: Wheels, Axels and Inclined Planes
- Specializes in producing actuators and servos which enable the creation of various robots and kits for hobbyists, STEM education or entertainment.
- Comprehensive lesson plans aligned to Common Core and NGSS standards designed for teachers by teachers. Our cross-curricular lessons cover math, science, ELA, coding, and more.
- Dash & Dot are characters that ignite curiosity and confidence while providing fun ways of learning the essential skills of collaboration, communication, and digital literacy.
- No experience with robotics or coding required. It’s easy to get started – just download one of our 5 free apps (Wonder, Go, Path, Blockly, Xylo) on your tablet, and you’ll be playing and learning with Dash & Dot in minutes.
- From phonics to photosynthesis, Osmo lesson plans can be easily integrated into any classroom. Let these lesson plans inspire your next exciting classroom activity!
- Use myOsmo to make a custom Words album with your own photos, word choices, and difficulty levels. This free tool will change how you teach!
- Our games are designed for your classroom. Create a custom experience that promotes physical interaction, collaboration and fun.
- Getting started is simple with a Student Invention Guide and Teacher’s Guide.
- Sets you up for 16+ hours of STEM/STEAM teaching with 8 engaging challenges, and additional companion lessons.
- Designed in partnership with educators to incorporate NGSS & Common Core in curriculum.
- Engage students in problem solving, creative thinking, and collaboration through invention-based learning.
- First kit that includes accessories and materials for 12 inventions out of the box.
- Spark imagination while building science, technology, art and math skills.
- Develop skills for careers that haven’t been invented yet.
- Create, play, remix, then share your inventions with the world.
- Just follow the colorful pictures in our manual and build exciting projects, such as FM radios, digital voice recorders, AM radios, burglar alarms, doorbells, and much more!
- All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease.
- Enjoy hours of educational fun while learning about electronics.
- An innovative video game development platform that allows you to create your own video games.
- With easy-to-use physical and digital tools, the imaginative gaming worlds of young gamers come to life in a cool retro arcade style.
- You decide what the game looks like and configure how it is played. You tell the story of the characters and design their looks. You create the obstacles and the power-ups.
- And then not only can you play, but you can share your game with fellow gamers for both gameplay and content remixing.
- Marble Run Race Coaster
- Marble race deluxe set contains curved tracks, chutes and ramps that fit together in many variation
- Set includes 75 connectors in various shapes and 30 colorful marbles
- Helps build your child's problem solving and motor skills and challenges your child's imagination
- Setup multiple entry points to create an exciting roller coaster
- Create your own unique marble run with long, short, and curved magnetic pieces—then, drop the marble from the highest point to see your design come to life!
- Take the challenge to the next level by building the designs pictured on the Activity Cards. Can you make the marbles speed up, slow down, stop, or change direction by rearranging the pieces?
- Engineering and problem solving have never been this fun! Endless combinations of designs provide multiple levels of learning.
- It’s a gravity-powered logic maze game that builds reasoning skills and visual perception.
- Use the challenge cards to strategically place towers and create a path for your marble to reach the target.
- With 60 challenges to test your skills, this fun maze game is definitely a marble run for brainiacs!
- Discover the science of motion through scientific exploration with colorful, engaging tools and hands-on activities.
- Explore the science of “how things go” as you conduct investigations, solve problems, and explore early engineering.
- Features 10 double-sided Activity Cards covering all aspects of STEM, plus key science concepts of gravity, inertia, friction, push/pull, and more!
- Build your maze, and then use the coding cards to create a step-by-step path for Colby, the Programmable Robot Mouse.
- Create your path with 16 maze grids to create a 20" x 20" maze board, 22 maze walls, and 3 tunnels for endless possibilities.
- Colby lights-up, makes sounds, and features 2 speeds along with colorful buttons to match coding cards for easy programming and sequencing.
- Helps develop skills like sequencing, critical thinking, reasoning, discovery, memory, problem solving and experimentation
- Gives fine motor skills a good workout
- Kids discover that their actions make things happen (also known as cause & effect)!
- motorized head and 8 easy-to-connect segments for endless combinations!
- Kids connect the segments to make Code-a-pillar™ go forward, left, right or wherever they choose
- Each segment lights up as the action happens!
- Motorized head segment features lights, fun character sounds and blinking eyes to bring Code-A-pillar™ to life
- You can bend, flex, and curve the track magically in 360˚ however you want – even while the race car is zooming around.
- Just snap the pieces together and in seconds you have a custom speedway
- Track pieces glow in the dark
- LED light up race cars keep the track glowing
- Rolls up for easy storage