Iron Horses STEAM ahead with new projects
NEW PLAYGROUND HITS A HIGH NOTE WITH STUDENTS!
The Philip Simmons Elementary School (PSES) playground received an exciting addition on Friday, Oct. 13. Current first grade students at PSES spent the last few months of their kindergarten year taking part in a STEAM-based project that explored using recycled materials to engineer and build musical instruments. The kindergarten teachers teamed up with the music teacher and taught multiple infused lessons in which the students used the recycled materials they collected to build drums, xylophones, and guitars. But the students wanted to take their STEAM project one step further and turn their instruments into life-size playground equipment that could be installed on their playground! With a lot of hard work and determination, the students raised over $4,000 to purchase multiple instruments for the playground. The STEAM project was finally completed with the recent installation of the instruments.
The students took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and got to see their hard work come to life! Teachers and administrators involved with the initiative extended their thanks to the families of the students and the entire PSES community for helping to raise the money to help fund the project.
NURTURING A DREAM THROUGH STEAM
On Friday, Oct. 16, Philip Simmons Elementary (PSES) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a swing set addition to the elementary playground. But this was not just an ordinary swing set! It was designed by the inaugural second grade class at PSES.
When out on the playground at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, the second grade students enjoyed the equipment they had, but hoped for more choices during their recess time. With their students’ dream in mind, the teachers planned a STEAM Unit that tasked students with designing their own piece of equipment that included force and motion.
In collaborative groups, students created a blueprint of their designs and then constructed a 3-D model. Once the models were complete, each group presented its design and model to a panel that included administration, parents, and volunteers. The students used technology and a lot of creativity to persuade the panel to choose their design. Once the final design was chosen, students held a holiday market to raise funds for the purchase of the product. With the help of the Berkeley County School Board and PSES’s Parent Teacher Association, their dream of new playground equipment became a reality!
A FIRST RATE WEATHER LESSON FOR FIRST GRADERS!
How’s the weather? Philip Simmons Elementary first grade classes recently had a chance to ask an expert! Meteorologist Shea Gibson of Weatherflow visited with students to talk about hurricanes and their effect on the environment. Philip Simmons Elementary is a STEAM school. According to PSES teacher Elizabeth Killian, the first graders Fall STEAM project has revolved around how to help during a time of crisis and how hurricanes affect us.