Bartow County Schools are working towards STEM/STEAM certification through the state of Georgia. Pine Log Elementary School (PLES) officially started the implementation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) throughout curriculum studies. Georgia educators and innovators celebrated May 7, 2021, as STEM Day statewide. It is fitting that Pine Log Elementary hosted its second successful STEM Walk on May 7. The visiting administrators and educators toured classrooms in each grade level to observe the integration of STEM into the lessons. Based on feedback from the first STEM Walk in December 2020, STEM lessons were intentionally built to include the Specials classes. The cross-curriculum style benefits students' understanding of the content material since they are studying the same concept from multiple directions through each subject area. The Specials classes (Art, Computers, Music, Art) already incorporate STEM into their curriculum, so those classes are a natural complement to the focus on STEM studies. Additionally, students built background knowledge through a read aloud in the media center that was directly connected to each grade level’s STEM lesson.
These are the focus lessons at each grade level:
Pre-K - Ocean Animals and their Habitats - Build an ocean habitat.
Kindergarten - Measurement - Measure your stuffed animal.
1st - Shadows and Light - Create shadow art using a self-designed sculpture.
2nd - Push and Pull - Design and create a fidget spinner.
3rd - Animal Adaptation and Habitats - Design an animal, an adaptation, and the animal's habit.
4th - Sound over Distance - Design and build a device to communicate sound.
5th - Electricity and Magnets - Design and create a shoe-box home with electricity.