Area Business Partners Join in STEM Education

Boone students got to explore jobs of partners from many area businesses at our recent Elementary Family STEM night. 

They learned about being an electrician. Staff from Kline Electric helped students build problem solving skills as they put basic circuits together. 

They shared about their job and brought photos from job sites to provide students with a virtual field trip.

Amy Cosentino from McFarland Clinic shared about her job as a radiology technician. Students got to examine x-rays and learned how to recognize various parts of the body from the x-ray image.

Then students were challenged to think like bio-medical engineers and design a splint that could immobilize a part of the body. 

Students practiced staying within a budget as well as extending their math skills at the banking station. They used a requisition sheet to "purchase" materials for a take-home STEM bag. Steve Baccam from Vision Bank assisted student and sent them home with a piggy bank to encourage them to begin saving their money. 

Boone students are fortunate to learn STEM concepts and extend learning with hands-on activities thanks to so many of our generous business partners. 

Elementary Family STEM Night

 Elementary Family STEM Night

Elementary Family STEM Night was evening of exploration, fun, and learning for Boone elementary students and families. This year's theme was STEM and Computer Science in Careers. Work-based-learning is an important focus in the Boone Schools, and the Boone Edge program is growing to include elementary age learners. We strive to involve community members and central Iowa business partners in student learning in order to create authentic learning experiences. At STEM Night, our students enjoyed visiting 15 different activity stations, which will be featured in this and future posts coming soon! Iowa State University was one generous partner fort this event. 

At the aerospace engineer station, aerospace engineering professor Tomas Gonzales-Torres was our guest. He joined students in activities related to space-- launching balloon rockets and creating galaxy pinwheels. Some students were fortunate to get to try on a pair of astronauts gloves from his work at NASA! 

At the veterinarian station, students used both low-tech magnifying glasses and high-tech digital microscopes to take a detailed look at many natural materials. Identifying computing technology that has changed the world is an important topic in computer science lessons in the classroom.  

 Students from Iowa State University brought information about the job of a veterinarian as well as an interesting activity identifying bones and assembling the "skeleton" of a dog.

At the Engineer station, students used Botley robots with line-sensing technology to follow a designated path. This enabled students to extend their knowledge of sensors on a computer as an input device.

An Iowa State University student from the Women in Engineering program (W.I.S.E) led an activity where students compared different bubble solutions to see which made the most effective bubbles. 

At the data analysis station, students learned how information in a database can be organized using digital tools. Storing and retrieving information using a computing device and seeing how data is organized visually is an important topic in computer science education. Students answered questions on a Google form, then examined the graphs generated in order to check their predictions, notice relationships, and support their claims. 

Students danced to the Toreador shuffle with a dance teacher. They saw how choreography is an algorithm. It was fun to recognize another area of life where algorithms are present.

Special thanks to all our guest facilitators and community partners who made this event possible! 

Botley Snow Removal

Third graders at Franklin used their knowledge of forces and motion to try their hand at "snow" removal. They were challenged with the idea of starting their own business and planning the most efficient way to clear a parking lot of snow.

First, they worked collaboratively in teams to design and build a blade for their Botley robot. Then they tested their snow plow to see if it worked effectively. Many revisions were made in order to build a strong blade that pushed a load of snow. Students even took time to research images of snowplows in order to redesign their plow. 

Once students had an effective working plow, they were challenged to code Botley to clear as much of the parking lot as possible with 10 coding cards. This would help their business to be efficient with time and fuel. They also discussed the possibility of using robotic devices to plow snow in the future. 

At the end of the challenge, students were able to compare devices and algorithms, reflecting on the most effective and efficient plan for their business. They enjoyed this real-world connection to their experience with coding. 

Coding Warehouse Robots

 Third graders at Franklin got to learn about automation at a grocery warehouse during Computer Science Week. Our special guest was Fred Greiner from Fareway. Mr. Greiner explained how grocery items get to the warehouse from the factory, are stored in the warehouse, then are retrieved for orders sent to the Fareway grocery stores. 

Computer science is used in many ways in the grocery industry. Students learned how automation can make work more efficient.

Students used what they know about coding to have a Botley robot navigate a warehouse map. Students had to create the code for the Botley to stop at given locations of their warehouse. 

Then cases of grocery items could be added to the pallet to complete a grocery order. It was a fun way to connect their coding skills to an authentic use of computer science. 

Building Circuits and Switches

 

Electrician Jordan Clark from Enterprise Electric was our special guest during Computer Science Week. He met with 4th grade classes and shared about the job of an electrician. 

Next, students practiced designing simple circuits, and then building switches out of ordinary materials to run their circuits. 

Mr. Clark also showed many complex types of switches: such as switches with temperature, light, or motion sensors. Our students love learning about STEM careers!  This will help build background for future learning in computer science.

Coding School Bus Routes

Following a unit in Social Studies about communities, second grade students recently extended their learning during Computer Science Week. 

Mike Kennedy came to talk about his job as transportation director of our district. He shared some of the habits and skills needed to plan efficient bus routes. Then students put their knowledge of maps of our community to use.  They used computer science skills and computational thinking to plan and code robotic "buses" along the most efficient route between schools. 

Students enjoyed coding the Beebot buses to travel between the school buildings on their "map". They practiced collaborating effectively with different roles: navigator, driver and debugger.

 

Future Leaders of the Community

 

During their study of communities in social studies, 2nd grade classes are learning how people in a community work together to make decisions on local issues. They are discovering that individuals can take action to address local issues. After learning about the many unique attractions, businesses and events in the area, they brainstormed to determine something that Boone needs. 

Next, they planned a design on paper, and built a cardboard prototype of their proposed building. 

Students also used democratic procedures to discuss possible locations for their vision. This involved using map skills and considering pros and cons. To complete the vision for their idea, they assisted in taking green screen photos which were added to a virtual background of their preferred location. 

These creative 2nd graders are future leaders of the community!