Godfrey-Lee — Hunkered over a table in Lee Middle School’s art room, second-grade scientists pondered what would happen if they poured three colors of a water and vinegar solution into a bin with heaping spoonfuls of baking soda.
“Imagine if we poured everything into it and mixed them all together, and it exploded,” second-grader Mayeli said.
The piece of paper inside the bin absorbed the gritty watercolor mixture and reacted to make “fizzy art,” as Mya observed.
“It feels like we’re scientists,” she said.
Art teacher Mrs. Steiner chimed in and said, “This is science.”
Science and art, the students replied nearly in unison.
Godfrey-Lee students recently got to be curious scientists, innovative engineers and aspiring artists at the district’s first “STEAM is LIT” event. Over 125 students and families attended to participate in science, technology, engineering, art, math and literacy-based activities.
“STEAM night supported our students in building durable skills like creativity, collaboration and problem-solving in a hands-on way,” district innovation coach Abby LaBarge said. “Experiences like this help students start to see what’s possible for their future, all while having fun and building confidence.”
This event aligned with Michigan’s Career Development Model, providing opportunities for early childhood through high-school students, as well as the district’s strategic plan.
LaBarge said her favorite moments from the event involved intergenerational collaboration.
“I watched a dad and his fourth-grade son build paper and straw rockets together, two eighth-graders connect with two third-graders while crafting, and followed along as a young girl explained to her mom how a robot works,” she said. “It’s those moments where families and students learn together that showcase how we never stop learning and learn more together than apart.”
Inspiring Future Artists and Astronauts
Staff members and instructional coaches came up with eight different STEAM and literary activities. Duos and trios of friends traveled from classroom to classroom exploring robotics, art projects and other creative challenges.
Families spent time together making fizzy art, drawing with 3D pens, playing bingo to win books and building paper rocket ships attached to straws.
Some students were determined to color inside the lines of their ships, while others raced to the part where they became astronauts, launching their creations through a hoop hanging from the ceiling.
LaBarge demonstrated how to put the paper rocket on the end of a plastic straw, blow through the other end and pilot the rocket through the hoop to earn the coveted Dum Dum sucker.
Down the hall, Kent ISD STEM consultant Du Bui and Innovative Learning consultant Lindsay Lane presented students with an engineering challenge. Using eight pieces of printer paper and 12 inches of masking tape, the goal was to build a table at least four inches tall.
Bui told the students their table prototypes had to hold several “big, heavy, nerdy books” for at least 10 seconds without collapsing.
Third-grader Josiah entered the classroom ready to think like an engineer to solve the problem.
“Bet,” he said. “How (are) we gonna do this?”
“I’ve got an idea,” his friend Sabuni replied, and they got to work cutting, folding and taping paper.
In Melissa Donovan’s STEAM classroom, students could try their hand at driving robots and controlling motorized devices.
When one got his turn with the controller to drive one of the bots, he faced the challenge of making it go forward.
Donovan encouraged him: “We have to be engineers and figure out why it’s not working.”
Read more from Godfrey Lee:
• TEAM 21, nonprofit & local business prepare meals for community
• Proud, exhausted, worthwhile: reflecting on the marathon of teaching
