Friday, January 25th, was a STEM Activities Day at Loa Elementary School, and all classes engaged in projects aimed at increasing their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This is an ongoing month event where Loa Elementary dedicates a day for the students to participate in STEM activities and projects.

The results were impressive as all teachers & students embarked on immersive learning experiments and activities that demonstrated concepts in a hands-on, engaging way. For example, Mrs. Jackson’s Kindergarten class made use of toothpicks and marshmallows to build structures, conveying the principles of engineering. Mrs. Brinkerhoff and Mrs. Potter’s First Grade classes combined to make bracelets that changed from white to dazzling colors when exposed to sunlight.

Mrs. Bradbury’s Second Grade class used Styrofoam cups to build pyramids, then had a contest to determine who could build the sturdiest structure for supporting the weight of textbooks. In Miss Davis’ Second Grade class, the principles of insulation, heat, and cold were learned with a bag of shortening and a bowl of ice cold water.

Third graders in Mrs. Barlow’s class mixed solutions of borax & water to learn how crystals are formed, among other projects. Mrs. Shields’ class of third graders went to the playground to learn whether things are pushed or pulled in a demonstration of force and motion.

In the fourth grade, Mrs. Ekker’s students discovered the principles of rock formation by using, of all things, chocolate and M&Ms. The fifth graders of Mrs. Torgerson made use of the school’s high-tech Legos to follow designs—building vehicles and other machines.

Each of these activities and projects had a specific focus that revealed a basic principle of STEM. The day was a great success in engaging students with the firsthand experience and excitement of learning about STEM via the result of their efforts both inside and outside the textbook. When you see the teachers, thank them for all the work they do to create this active learning environment.

Each Year Hogle Zoo sponsors an annual art exhibit called World of the Wild. The goal of the exhibit is to bring together the works of artists who are interested in displaying their view of the wild animals, plants and places we share in the world. Pictures of animals is one of the oldest art forms. Ancient art depicting animals can be seen in caves in France, Spain and Australia. Closer to home Freemont and Anasazi animals drawing can be seen along many cliff faces throughout our area. Art can create a powerful link to learning. Heather Watts once said that, “Arts education is a big part of building a 21st century creative mind, and I think that we have let way too many kids lose their way by not drawing in their young minds with music, dance, painting and the other various ways we can express those things we do not have words for.” The Utah Division of Arts and Museums sponsors the Hogle Zoo exhibit, which enables schools to have the exhibit come to their school.

Mrs. Wilkins from Hanksville Elementary takes the opportunity with her students to enjoy that Worlds of the Wild art exhibit and they use it as an extension of their classroom. The students have used this year's exhibit to learn different elements of art such as line, shape, color, texture, etc. Each student will also be painting a picture of their animal choice. The school also offer the art to the community so that everyone can enjoy the beauty. As you look at the display ask yourself the following questions:

• What emotions do you see in the picture?
• How does piece make you feel?
• Why do you think it makes you feel that way?

Thank You Hanksville Elementary for doing so much for our kids!!

Mrs. Stringham's 7th grade Utah History students have been learning about Utah mining. Utah History covers many topics about the state of Utah, including history, geography and the economics of the state. Mrs. Stringham does a lot of hands on activities which help the students gain a deeper appreciation of the topics. The last activity was based on the mining industry. The class spent time "mining" for chocolate chips! Just like the original miners of Utah who mined for gold and silver, the class mined for chocolate chips. Each student participated by "buying" tools, "paying" for land, and "collecting" samples.

It was a fun and exciting day. Once the chips were extracted from the "land" (cookie), the students used their math skills to determine if they made a profit with their materials or lost money on their mining expedition. This class worked hard to see exactly what the "original miners" did and how they lived in the early 1800s in Utah. This has been a great class, and Mrs. Stringham is very pleased with their participation in the class and the activities.