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2022-2023 School Year Plans
I am so excited to share the STEM plans for this year. All classes will be working on projects inspired by Walt Disney World.
Kindergarten and First Grade: Each week one Disney character will be highlighted in class. Students will be given a challenge related to the character to solve from one of the STEM areas of study (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math). Students will have the opportunity to learn new skills in very hands on ways as they enjoy exploring new areas of interest.
Second Grade: Second Graders will become a member of the merchandising team for Disney. They will put their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math skills to work as they create new products using the engineering design process. Students will be amazed at how much math, science and other skills are needed to create new products. I can't wait to see what they come up with this year!
Third Grade: Disney is well known for its unique hotel adventures. This year third graders will be using their imaginations to create their own luxury hotel plans. They will learn all the math and technology skills needed to create a set of plans for their hotel. Once their plans are complete they will build a 3D model of their work to share with others. Students are already looking forward to creating some interesting hotel suites for their guests.
Fourth Grade: Writing is an important skill to develop for our fourth grade students. This year they will be perfecting their writing skills as they create their very own Pixar Short movies. Students will be responsible for creating scripts for their movies and then creating new characters and backdrops to showcase their writing as they film their movies.
Fifth Grade: The magic of Disney draws its guests in the minute they step into each world because of its immersive technique of their Imagineers. Fifth graders will be using the inspiration from Walt Disney to create a new land using their imaginations. Students will learn how to collaborate with a team to make decisions regarding their project. Math and Science will be the highlighted skills students will use while designing their 2D and 3D models of their new world.
What is STEM?
STEM education is the intentional integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and their associated practices to create a student-centered learning environment in which students investigate and engineer solutions to problems, and construct evidence-based explanations of real-world phenomena with a focus on a student’s social, emotional, physical, and academic needs through shared contributions of schools, families, and community partners.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is critical to ongoing economic success in Florida. Nationwide, growth in STEM careers outpaces that of any other occupational category. In addition STEM careers offer higher beginning salaries and more career earning potential than most other fields. Today’s careers require STEM skills at all levels of employment from service industries to engineering. Young adults who do not possess high level skills in mathematics, science and technology are at a significant career disadvantage not only because of the tremendous opportunities for high-wage, high demand STEM careers, but also because these skills are vital for success in other industry sectors. This combination of high need and high opportunity in STEM fields requires us to consider the proper preparation and support for individuals pursuing STEM studies.
STEM education is best sustained by supporting individual content areas as well as integrated experiences. Additionally, integrated coursework and projects can be used to support both the academic standards and the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Standards. STEM education requires an integrated learning approach where problem solving and engineering practices are included, where technology is seamlessly integrated throughout, and where there are high expectations for achievement in mathematics and science. STEM education is not restricted to the disciplines of mathematics and science. Providing safe and healthy school environments as well as coursework in other subject areas (e.g, art, language arts, social studies, health, etc) provide opportunities to improve learning, processing, research, literacy and communication skills that also support and enhance the various STEM programs.