K-5 STEM Grant Puts Hands in Hands-On Science
When Peavine Elementary in Washoe County set a goal to bring more hands-on, standards-based science lessons into all its classrooms, teachers were excited. Peavine applied for a K-5 STEM grant from OSIT to purchase two FOSS Kits: Pebbles, Sand and Silt for 2nd grade; and Energy for 4th grade.
2nd grade teacher Jennifer Young loves the new kits. “Not only are the students deeply engaged with this content, but I am equally enthralled with it, too! I have been genuinely delighted during each lesson!”
In 4th grade, Lance Ferguson reports that the new FOSS Energy kit meets NGSS standards better than the current curriculum and makes science more accessible to both teachers and students.
Both teachers report that their students love science and the hands-on learning that comes with each lesson. “In my 29 years of teaching, I know that if an activity is hands on, students are more engaged, and the more engaged they are, the more they learn, understand, and remember the content of the lesson and activity,” said Mr. Ferguson.
The FOSS kits are also providing students opportunities to collaborate, create, communicate, and become critical thinkers.
FOSS is one of the programs on the Nevada STEM Advisory Council’s Recommended STEM Programs list. Research finds that early exposure to STEM, especially for girls, makes children more likely to succeed in science and pursue STEM fields in college. OSIT awarded K-5 STEM Grants to innovative applications that increase the use of evidence-based, hands-on, experiential STEM learning in grades K-5.
Images to right: After learning about energy transfer, students followed the engineering design process to design a series circuit that could light two light bulbs.
Images below: Students observed that rocks and sand come in different sizes, shapes, and colors.
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