Palmerton first graders learn the scientific method
Students practice dropping their parachute indoors before getting ready to head outside for the final test.
The first graders at Parkside Education Center in the Palmerton Area School District worked in teams to create parachutes to help an astronaut land safely on the ground. The students were allowed to choose from a variety of different materials in order to test which would make the best parachute. The groups then took their parachutes outside in order to launch them. This was their first STEM day of the school year. The focus was on engineering, understanding the scientific process of making a hypothesis, and testing to see if their hypothesis was correct. The project was also focused on the Four Cs: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Every grade level had an activity that was related to this year’s theme of “The Sky’s the Limit.” Students participated in everything from levitation activities to paper airplanes in order to experience the scientific process and practice basic STEM skills.
The elementary math coaches at S. S. Palmer Elementary School and Parkside Education Center, Mrs. Kim Nenscel and Ms. Libby Karb, both think that it is important for their students to be able to apply the math skills they are learning to real world activities that makes learning fun. Through their weekly STEM activities, they able to achieve these goals.
