Purpose: CES STEM Project is a classroom that fosters a positive culture that allows students to problem-solve, collaborate, create, test ideas, and build with their hands. The goal of CES STEM classroom project design is to inspire students to think, innovate, prototype, and research in teams.

Impact: The Capitol Elementary staff is still operating on cloud 9 after receiving the ADF grant that funded our STEM classes. Both teachers and students enjoyed the LEGO activities, and most of all using the 3-D printers that created lifelong learning experiences.

Example of Activities created in STEM Class

1. Envisioning Animal Adaptation on Mars

Students were asked what at animal would look like once it had adapted to the environment on Mars. To answer this question students had to learn about how the climate on Mars is different than the climate on Earth. Then they use 3D design to explore how the animal’s body and behavior would change after adapting to life on Mars!

Activity 2

Math can be a challenging subject for some students. One teacher said, whenever it was time for math her students would cry! She decided to make math more enjoyable for her students by having them create a 3D printed math avatar. Students created an entire world for these avatars and there were no more math tears!

This summer teachers are planning and creating lessons to continue building an effective STEM Classroom. Our teachers are also attending professional development throughout the summer on teaching STEM.