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.