Race Cars, Color Lines, and Planets at NRC

Mrs. Moose, math teacher for students grades 6-8 at NRC, recently used a lesson in her classroom from the William Paterson University Summer STEAM Workshop held in July 2015 for all Paterson Public School teachers.

This activity was very popular with teachers who attended the Summer STEAM Workshop.  Her sixth grade math students engaged in a STEAM activity, in which they built, tested, and compared their own mini-race cars.  Students measured the distance traveled by the cars on the floor as part of their math learning.

In Mrs. Moose's seventh grade class, math students created a color line and engaged in a Straight Line Board Game.

Mrs. Moose's eighth grade students created planet artworks and calculated the distance to the planets. All of these STEAM activities make math interesting and engaging for these students. STEAM activities also create collaborations in the class, teamwork, and motivation.

Above:  NRC Math Teacher Mrs. Moose with tow of her eighth grade students.

WPU Art Practicum Student Creates STEAM Lesson at SOIT School of Information Technology

Leaves and Landscapes

Above:  WPU Practicum Student with her finished student art works

WPU Art Practicum Student Ashley Zampino, who is working with SOIT/School of Information Technology Art Teacher Marilyn Simon, recently taught an enjoyable STEAM  art lesson to high school students that focused upon several elements of art and nature. 

 

Students first painted a selected landscape in watercolor, using both warm and cool colors.  They created a natural and outdoor space on these papers.  Next they used actual leaf shapes to create leaf prints on tissue paper, painting the leaves with acrylic paints to mimic nature.

In addition, students painted directly onto the tissue paper aiming to produce the look of natural leaf textures. 

Finally students attached their leaf prints to their watercolor landscapes. The finished artworks allow the viewer to look into an interesting landscape painting and experience the effect of leaves falling right in front of the their eyes.

Technology, Art, and Art History STEAM project at NRC!

NRC's technology teacher, Mrs. Selino, and NRC science teachers, Ms. Cunningham, Ms. McGee, Ms. Chiquito, Ms. Cruz, and Ms. Garcia recently collaborated on an innovative STEAM project.

In this project, students used Scientific Method vocabulary words from their science classes in their technology class to create a Tagxedo* project with Mrs. Selino.

Above and left:  Janette Selino, Technology Teacher at NRC proudly points to the student work.

 

Students were first directed to science sites on their computers in technology class to find a general image relating to any scientific area. Then, Mrs. Selino explained how to fill this image with their scientific vocabulary words from science class as well as their name, their respective science teacher’s name, their university name and their grade. Students responded with excitement, saying, for example, “Wow, we are learning these same words in science class!”

The whole purpose of STEAM is to create collaborations between art, science, math, engineering and technology teachers so that students can make connections throughout their day between the distinct subject areas, and also see them as the unified whole these subject areas actually are.  STEAM works for teachers as well as for students, and both teaching and learning are constantly taking place in this process.

(A special thanks to the Dodge Foundation from the NRC Staff!)

* Tagxedo runs words into visually stunning word clouds.  See tagxedo.com for more information

Another New STEAM School in Paterson, NJ: School 12

Two engaging and enjoyable science/art projects are in the works at School 12 in Paterson, NJ as part of the new STEAM program at School 12.


The STEAM program in Paterson has grown to include not only School 12 but also School 29, and the New Roberto Clemente School, making the total STEAM schools now eight this year.

With the assistance of Art Professor in Residence Simone Sandler, the 6^th graders in Ms. Albritton’s science class are in the midst of building their own miniature cars to learn about Newton’s Laws of Motion. Students are constructing chassis from recycled juice boxes. They are then measuring carefully to construct functional axles and wheels from straws and life-savers.  Wrapping their chassis in thin white paper and using colored markers give students the opportunity to personalize their vehicles.

Working in teams, students are going outside and experimenting with their cars by sending them down ramps (inclined planes) set at different angles.  Using stopwatches and rulers, students take turns racing their cars down the ramps and measuring the distance and time for each car.  The calculations are being used to determine the speed of each vehicle.

Essential questions for the follow-up of this lesson include:

           1.  What made a difference in the speed of the cars? 

            2.  Was the slope of the ramps a factor? 

            3.  Was the roughness of the surface of the ramps a factor?

            4.  How does resistance affect a car’s speed?

            5.  How can cars be made to travel faster?

This hands-on experience inspired the students to develop critical thinking skills while problem solving with their peers.

In another School 12 classroom, a different STEAM project is being developed focusing upon biology and art.  As part of their science curriculum, students in Mrs. Krisak’s 4^th grade class are studying plant and animal cells.  With the assistance of Art Professor in Residence Simone Sandler, students are using Styrofoam trays recycled from lunch.  They are working in pairs to draw and color the parts of the cell, and, using toothpicks, to identify and label the 

different parts.  In the process students will analyze the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells, and learn how to distinguish between them. This activity enables students to better retain information. Working in pairs encourages cooperation and communication skills.

New STEAM School in Paterson, NJ: The New Roberto Clemente School

     A vibrant and interesting technology/art/art history collaboration was recently created at NRC/New Roberto Clemente School in Paterson, NJ as part of the new STEAM program at NRC.  The STEAM program in Paterson has grown to include not only NRC but also Schools 12 and 29, making the total STEAM schools now eight this year.

     At NRC, WPU Art Professor in Residence Triada Samaras joins Professor in Residence, Betsy Golden and STEAM Grant Co-ordinator/PIR Dina Scacchetti to implement a new STEAM program at NRC.

Left:  
Three participating teachers at NRC left to right: Ms. Mandal Art, Ms. Selino Technology, Ms. Senopole Art,

This STEAM collaboration was created In celebration of Hispanic Hispanic Heritage Month month in October at NRC and combines art, art history, and technology.  Students researched prominent Hispanic artists and featured them in colorful and creative posters made with technology.  Students worked with two art teachers, Ms. Senopole, and Ms. Mandal, as well as Ms. Selino, technology teacher.

Above: Ms. Selino, technology teacher stands in front of one of the 

bulletin boards in the hallway

Below:  Two Examples of NRC Student Work done for this project using art, art history and technology.

 A rubric was given to each student for assessment purposes:

In other classrooms at NRC, STEAM is manifesting in other ways.  Ms. Munem's social studies classes, grades 6-8, used art to learn science.

Above and below:
Ms. Munem exhibits student's use of artistic strips and markers to study the research method.

Above and right: Ms. Cuningham, 8th grade science teacher, has her science students using art materials and various "foldables" techniques to make individualized and creative science journals.



Left:  WPU Art Professor in Residence, Triada Samaras, admires a bi-lingual STEAM bulletin board created by Ms. Gonzalez, bi-lingual teacher.

School 2 First and Second Graders Learn about Animal Characteristics and Habitats

Through trans-disciplinary STEAM activities conducted throughout the school year, first and second grade students learned about the characteristics of various animals--whether they are cold-blooded or warm-blooded, whether they are carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores, what their natural habitats are, etc.  They learned about the meaning of the term habitat, and how different habitats support the survival and growth of different animals.  They also learned that animals have features that help them to survive in different environments.

At the end of the school year, in June, the students participated in a culminating field trip to the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ.  In addition to Principal Van Lieu and their teachers, they were accompanied by Art Professor in Residence Simone Sandler, Math Professor in Residence Paul Odenwelder, Leader in Residence Robert Reid, and Geraldine R. Dodge Grant Coordinator Dina Scacchetti.  

During the day-long tour of the zoo, they saw many of the animals they had studied.  While animals such as wolves had to be kept safely behind unbreakable glass, birds such as peacocks roamed free.

 

Students also had the opportunity to feed the birds in the aviary.

Upon their return, the students produced reports and collages about their experiences that included “foldables”, thus continuing the integration of art and science.

Summer STEAM Workshop at WPU

This past July WPU’s College of Education presented a two-day workshop on STEAM.  Supported by the University’s Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Grant and the COE Office of Professional Development, the workshop was attended by approximately 40 teachers, most of whom were drawn from the College’s Professional Development Schools network.

On Day One, after an introduction to STEAM by Dina Scacchetti, Dodge Grant Coordinator, the participants were presented with 18 activities (lesson plans and packages of supplies), and encouraged to engage in any that they found of interest.  These proven-successful activities, which cover all grade levels K-12 and which cross into many other core areas, had been developed over the preceding three years through WPU's Dodge grants.   For example teachers could try "Biophillic Design/Biomimicry" for high school students:  a two- dimensional drawing and color activity in which students research the natural world as a source for their own new inventions   Or they could create a "Car That Moves" (for grades 3-6) using an assortment of three-dimensional materials and the laws of physics to create a moving vehicle.

The participants were guided through the activities by a “STEAM Team” that consisted of

WPU Professors in Residence (Triada Samaras, Art; Simone Sandler, Art; Myra Winter, Art; Paul Odenwelder, Math; and Betsy Golden, ELA) and Paterson teachers (Darryl Jones, Art; Vivian Reyes, Art; Marilyn Simon, Art; Ana Alea, Math and Science; and Michael Schulties, Science).  The "STEAM Team" shared their lesson plans, STEAM pedagogy, and STEAM expertise.

On Day Two, participants continued experimenting with these activities for much of the morning.  In the afternoon they were asked to collaborate with each other to create new activities for their classrooms, or to adapt the activities they had already tried to make them more appropriate for their individual settings.  All teachers completed the workshop with an increased understanding of and enthusiasm for the vital role of  Art in the teaching of the STEM subjects.

 

Teachers rated the STEAM Workshop very highly in their workshop evaluations, and many stated that they would like more professional development of this type.  Consequently, a follow-up workshop at which summer participants can provide feedback on their activities and new registrants can be introduced to STEAM has been scheduled for December 3, 2015, through the WPU Center for Continuing Education.