STEAM Curriculum

Students will use 21st century skills to create a podcast through research, writing, collaboration, recording, editing and publishing to be shared to a platform on the internet. Students will have the freedom to write and record a podcast about social issues, STEAM topics or a creative writing piece. They will build skills, background knowledge and understanding of the field of podcasting and careers available in this field of audio and technology. 

Students will use deductive reasoning skills, take notes, organize data, and analyze evidence in a classroom forensic lab. Students will use critical thinking skills, math and science skills while working together to solve crime. Career possibilities include detective and forensic scientist 

Learn how to survive at home or in a different place because of a major life changing circumstance.  Home without power for varied lengths of time.  Growing your own food and not relying on stores.  Having the knowledge to make your own spaces to supply those needs.  Getting ready before it happens... 

Students will learn how to prepare a weather report based on a real –life weather forecast. Students will apply skills in analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and explanation to their writing and speaking. Students will understand the technology used to predict and measure weather, such as radar, satellites, storm sensors and weather modeling software applications. Each group of students will be asked to create a simulated 5-day weather forecast.  Some career opportunities are data scientist, broadcast meteorologist, environmental scientist, research scientist, and professor. 

Students will be introduced to the building blocks of matter and how they interact with each other.  They will explore the different signs of a chemical change and experiment with endo- and exothermic reactions.  The class will build toward a chemical engineering project where students must save reptile eggs from a building construction site. 

Students will use the design process, and tie multiple software products together to produce and edit their own videos.  Future careers include movies, cartooning, writing, sound design, advertisement and marketing, and many more!

Students will learn the different ways mosaic tiling has been used around the world and the ways it is used as design elements in modern careers today. They will then use their knowledge of mathematical patterns and 2D shapes to create two mosaic tiling works, one using recycled cardboard and the other traditional glass and ceramic tiles. 

Students will identify problems needing solutions. Next, they will follow the inventors process to develop an invention or innovation to address it. Finally, they will build a prototype of their solution.  Future careers would include Inventors and Engineers, research and development. 

Do you have what it takes to be the next American Ninja Warrior? Students will interview a real-life Ninja Warrior. Students will also train to become stronger and more agile. They will design a t-shirt with a personal ninja logo. Then, students will use the engineering design process to create an obstacle using a 3-D printer.    

Learn how to use coil, slab, and pinch pot hand building techniques to create functional pottery. Throughout this course, students will study ceramists, generate their own designs while avoiding kitsch art, build and glaze a dinner set based off a favorite food recipe, critique a peer’s artwork along with their own, and display/present their final product. Careers that would align well with this lesson may include potters, sculptors, art educators, pottery designer, and pattern illustrators. 

Students will learn how to play the ukulele and write their own music. We will start with basic chords and familiar songs. By the end of the course, students will form their own “band” and debut their original song. Ukuleles are provided, but students are welcome to use their own. 

Learn how to play and keep track of fantasy sports players, teams, standings and stats.  Fantasy football, hockey, basketball, baseball, and March Madness brackets are included.  Careers could include sports management and coaching.     

This course will take students behind the scenes in the digital world of music. The ability to create, edit, and manipulate electronic music is a skill that can be used in countless ways. Every sound, song, or recording that you hear in the digital world was created by someone. We will use DJing as tool to understand the basic building blocks of electronic sound/music.  

The end goal is: Our lunch time at school needs some variety! How can we create music that will entertain and be appreciated by the students in the cafeteria? At the end of each quarter the DJ students will put on a DJ set during lunchtime or outside.  

Students will create a documentary about their community. They will demonstrate their learning collectively and through writing activities. Students will learn to use various forms of technology, while making connections with their community. STEAM career skills that will be demonstrated are working and evaluating collectively, community outreach, and practicing written and language communication. 

Students will work through the engineering process to complete sports challenges. Students will plan, design and work in collaboration with their classmates as they think critically, and problem solve to complete the challenges from an assortment of athletics. Future careers include engineering, sports management and design.   

A crime has occurred in Mrs. Wilker’s room. Become part of the forensic team to analyze fingerprints, bite marks, hair samples, blood, and other clues to identify the culprit. Learn to use your critical thinking skills and work as a team to earn your certificate of completion as a forensic team member. Career opportunities include detective, crime laboratory analysis, forensic engineer, and crime scene examiner. 

The objective of this experiment is to design and build a bridge made of spaghetti and glue that is strong and light.  The bridge will be tested to find out how much weight it can hold.  Students will be rated on the structural efficiency of the bridge:  Load supported (grams)   ÷   Mass of Bridge (grams) 

Students will develop/use creativity, abstract reasoning, memory, concentration, critical thinking, strategic planning, and visualization skills while learning the game of chess. The STEAM & executive functioning skills developed while learning/playing can be applied to most life challenges & professional careers. The games will be played as individuals and in teams to strengthen communication & teamwork. Students will create their own game pieces and use stop motion photography to create a story. 

Students will be introduced to gardening. They will learn about the science behind growing a garden and the benefits of growing a garden. Students will plant their own seeds and watch them grow. We will end our unit by making a healthy snack with things grown in gardens. The careers we will explore include agriculture and dietetics and nutrition.  

Students will be incorporating the engineering design process to create a mural with keystone animals. As a class and in collaboration with one another we will plan and design our individual murals and one in collaboration at the end. The careers we will explore will be engineering, art, wildlife, and marine biology.  

Are you hungry?  Students will be introduced to the life skill of cooking simple breakfast food items.  This class will encourage students to problem solve and think creatively!  They will use their math skills to count, measure and follow a sequence of steps.  They will have the opportunity to learn about jobs that relate to cooking and food.  Students will even have the chance to job shadow in our cafeteria! 

Are you hungry?  Students will be introduced to the life skill of cooking simple snack food items like grilled cheese or pizza.  This class will encourage students to problem solve and think creatively!  They will use their math skills to count, measure and follow a sequence of steps.  They will have the opportunity to learn about jobs that relate to cooking and food.  Students will even have the chance to job shadow in our cafeteria! 

Students will take a closer look at what’s beyond the grass and why it’s important to support our grasslands and their inhabitants – specifically pollinators.  The objective is for students to go away with knowledge of threatened migratory pollinators that will deepen their understanding of what a pollinator is, what threatens the species, and how species can be protected. Activities will focus on ecology and conservation. Students will meet, and learn from, an apiarist from Tennessee and a Sustainable Agriculture graduate from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.  They will construct a Mason Bee Hotel and a miniature pollinator garden from repurposed materials.  

Students will receive a crash course on how to build their very own business. They will explore their passions, come up with a product or service to sell, gather materials, and create a business plan that can be executed with the right planning and knowledge. Students will have the opportunity to create a prototype and explore how to market their product or service. Students will be able to take what they learn to become young entrepreneurs and grow their very own money in careers in the business field. 

In our school, we teach some basic programming, mostly with drag and drop. This STEAM course will teach students HTML (HyperText Markup Language) so they can see and learn how web pages are designed. We will go through some tutorials to learn and practice using HTML. Students will create their own website account using a free web server/host. Then they will be given time to create a website of their choosing. 

Students will choose a book to read that deals with the theme of diversity/adversity. They will then create a Spotify playlist curated with songs that portray feelings/themes/conflict and plot found in the story. 

Do you love to act? Do you love creating? Do you know that theatre is much more than just acting? Set design, costumes, and props are also part of what it takes to put on a play.  Working in partnership with our local children’s theatre, Matchbox Children’s Theatre, students will have hands-on experience designing these items for a play they will be part of at the end of the session. 

Students learn the basics of photography including skills and strategies in taking photos as well as developing them using digital tools. We will explore how cameras work and how photography technology has developed over time. Students will practice photography using both physical and digital tools to develop their eye for photos. Potential career paths include professional or hobby photographer, digital media, and design using digital tools.