NES Students Experience STEM Up Close

December 27, 2018 Cody Dunlap

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. That is was the acronym STEM stands for, and K-5 students at Natoma Elementary School got hands-on experience with those areas on Thursday. Educators in the district split up into pairs and created challenges for students to complete as they moved from room to room. Students saw Christmas themed challenges such as building Sleigh Gliders, Gingerbread Boat Floats, Santa’s Parachutes, and Candy Cane Catchers. Each group of students rotated throughout the afternoon to each set of teachers and spent time completing each challenge to the best of their abilities. Aside from abilities, each activity required collaboration between a student in a higher and lower grade.  Items for the challenges were made possible by a Walmart grant. Requisitions were made, and the supplies were picked up. Some of the items used during the challenges included toothpicks, coffee filters, Dixie cups, wooden skewers, straws, etc. The students enjoyed Christmas parties following the STEM centers.