STEAM Skills

In a lesson on Peru and llamas, students learn how to observe and describe the characteristics of this animal. They have two eyes, four legs, one nose, a long neck, they eat leaves and roots, they leap when they get excited, and they have soft fur. Next, children are invited to touch different materials – a stuffed animal, felt, sandpaper – and are encouraged to compare, contrast, and make the kind of observations that are the foundation of scientific inquiry and investigation.

There is evidence to show that the famous Italian artist and engineer, Leonardo Da Vinci, created the world’s first parachute in the 15th century. Da Vinci believed that a device would enable the wearer to fall from any height without suffering an injury. As part of the lesson on Italy, students gather in a circle while holding the edge of a parachute or sheet. The teacher pulls the parachute taut and then lowers it between knee level and the ground. On a signal, the teacher calls out “Mushroom!” and all the children raise the chute upwards; it will fill with air and rise up like a giant mushroom. To get it as high as possible, children can take a few steps toward the center as the chute rises.

Imaginations will be unleashed with this Great Wall of China engineering challenge. Students will be presented with a wide range of materials, including small wooden blocks, Legos, connecting cubes, Lincoln Logs, paper, cardboard, sugar cubes, glue, and clay. A special “challenge” material station will include a mix of items like plastic cups and egg cartons.

Students can build their own Great Wall with the materials they are given and compare their creations.

Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is a special holiday that is celebrated in India every year. Lighting oil lamps and decorating homes with lights are important traditions on this holiday. A diya is a small lamp, traditionally made from clay and containing oil and a wick. The lamps are lit to celebrate the triumph of light (good over evil) during Diwali. Children are invited to make their own diya using battery tea lights. First, each child forms a ball out of clay. Next, they smell cardamom and are invited to add the spice into their clay to give it a pleasant scent. They flatten the balls, use their fingers to mold them into small bowls, and then decorate them.

The cactus is an important symbol in Mexico. Varieties of cactus can be found in most parts of the country. With playdough and small pieces of pipe cleaners, students make their own cactus plants, using the pipe cleaners as the spiky spines. Small beads (or Fruit Loops) can be added to the spines to represent the cactus flowers. When everyone in the group has made their cactus, children compare the sizes of the cactus plants to see who made the largest or smallest cactus plant. Next, they count the prickles (pipe cleaners) on their cactus.