January 31, 2025 by
Across the grades, the STEM department incorporates engineering design into its curriculum, often in order to tackle real world problems. Below, we feature examples:
In December 2024, our second-grade scientists embarked on an exciting journey into the world of pollinators! We discovered how essential these creatures are for our environment, how they help plants grow and produce food, and what features characterize a pollinator. To deepen our understanding, we used the STEM design and engineering process to create our own pollinators. Here’s a peek into our buzzing adventure!
Students worked collaboratively in groups to design a rooftop that could withstand heavy rainfall. Using only three materials—clay, wood sticks, and hay—their task was to create a waterproof seal for their rooftop designs. Luckily, we had a perfect rainy day to test out our creations! We took our rooftops outside to see how they held up under real conditions. The results were impressive! Overall, the rooftops weathered the rain quite well. One key observation was that rooftops combining clay as a base layer with hay and wood on top performed better than those with clay as the top layer. This hands-on activity was not only a fun way to conclude our weather unit but also an opportunity for students to apply critical thinking and teamwork skills while exploring material properties and problem-solving in real-world scenarios.
Students worked in groups to explore how earthquakes are caused and design buildings that can withstand seismic shocks. They studied the relationship between earthquakes, waves, and ground shaking, as well as how different shapes and materials strengthen structures. Analyzing examples like the Taipei 101 tower, they learned about features like tuned mass dampers, which are devices placed in structures to reduce vibrations. Using the design thinking process, students empathized with those in earthquake zones and built tower models with toothpicks and marshmallows under specific criteria. They tested their designs in a Jell-O earthquake simulation, discovering that wider bases and triangular shapes improve stability. This engaging activity combined learning with critical thinking, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving.
Grade 6 students spend the first part of the year learning about properties of matter. When studying the property of reactivity, students do an experiment about rust where they place steel wool in liquids such as vinegar, oil, salt brine, and water and observe how much it rusts over the course of a week in each. They then explore how to apply their results to the real world by asking questions such as: how can we prevent structures from rusting, especially when exposed to elements such as rain? How can we use the materials from the experiment to slow the rusting process? How can we keep structures dry and prevent exposure to liquids that cause rusting? This exposes students to important considerations made in architecture and transportation design.
In Exploratory, seventh graders used their digital design skills to create scaled models of large objects, such as stools, tables, and other pieces of furniture, in the Design Lab. They took measurements of real items around the room, and then scaled them down to a smaller size and used a computer program to design them. Then, they used 3D printers to make physical versions of their models. This skill is applicable to room design.
Grade 8 students study the energy release that occurs in physical and chemical changes to materials. They used these principles to create hot packs, or small bags that release heat when squeezed. Inside these packs are water and a chemical, and when the bag is squeezed, a chemical reaction occurs that can release heat. Students have to find the right amount of water and solid chemical to combine to create this effect.
Students are given 3 options for chemicals. While the most effective is calcium chloride, which dissociates into its ions as it dissolves in water and then releases heat, students experiment with a variety of materials and also see what happens when they combine chemicals with one another.
Hot packs also had to meet certain criteria, such as a specific temperature range (between 50-55 degrees Celsius) and a budget for buying chemicals. Upon completion, students design a label for their hot pack with environmental and safety concerns—an important factor to product design in real life.
