LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Finding solutions to a problem is a major part of the scientific method, and students of any age can work together to come up with those solutions. Through Project Lead the Way, elementary students at Lima City Schools have the opportunity to learn through problem solving with STEM-related concepts.
These first graders at South Science and Technology Magnet were tasked with finding ways to stay cool when playing out in the Sun, and learned about the transition from morning to afternoon.
"They learn about how the Sun travels across the sky, when it's the warmest, when it's the most harsh, and then they come up with ideas of how to block that out, how to protect themselves, and where to position that final solution over the playground or wherever they're at," said Mark Thomas, Project Lead the Way and Career Lab instructor for Lima City Schools.
The students also ran an experiment to see how the position of the Sun affected their own shadows. They drew an outline of their shadow at one point in the day and then compared it to another outline hours after to track the movement of the Sun.
The idea is to get these students familiar with the basic concepts of STEM early on, so they could expand upon them in the future.
"This is my STEM lab; I am teaching that science about the earth, the technology of the products that they can bring in to improve the situation, even mathematics of measuring the angle of the sun, or even measuring the amount of product they would need to create a solution," said Thomas. "It all comes together here, and I appreciate all the other teachers building those concepts. I get to have fun with all the hands-on and show them that all of these classes mesh together, you can solve some real good problems."Â
