PVSTEM9 Year at a Glance
STEM9 is a project-based, Algebra I Keystone aligned, collaborative class between and developed by the Physics, Technology Education, and Math departments at Pequea Valley High School. It teaches Conceptual Physics, Algebra, Technology, and Engineering to all freshmen (except the 20% that already took Algebra I and passed the Keystone in 8th grade) in our 50% poverty rural school district.
Each learner is concurrently
learning Algebra I or Pre-Algebra in a full-year class one period of the day
while taking STEM9 another. STEM9’s
curriculum is a set of projects that our Tech Ed teachers find advance learners’
engineering skills and allow our Physics teachers to teach basic physics
concepts, all while hitting Algebra I Keystone Eligible Content every day. One Tech Ed and one Physics teacher each
teach a 52-minute class period of STEM9, typically splitting the class roster
on a Monday, switching on Tuesday, switching back again on Thursday and back
again on Friday. This gives each learner
two days with each teacher and their coordinated, but specialized, content in a
small classroom environment. In other
words, they get two days of Physics and two days of Engineering, but all
concerning the same project they are working on. Wednesdays’ 30 minute periods are reserved
for co-teaching all class activities revolving around math concepts, field
trips, or summary activities and labs.
The backbone of the STEM course is Algebra. During initial summer planning for the course, the PV Math department identified standards on the Algebra Keystone that were likely applicable to a Physics course. The Physics and Tech Ed teachers then collaborated to develop hands-on projects that developed learners’ engineering skills through application of physics concepts while incorporating Algebra level mathematics.
In the CNC router project, a learner programs a CNC router to carve out their initials using coordinate geometry and linear inequality principles, while developing scientific testing strategies. In our slow car project, learners learn the physics of simple machines and linear constant velocity motion and then apply those lessons to design and create a car from LEGOS that moves as slowly as possible, meeting certain criteria. After their creation is working, they pit their car against another, on opposite sides of a 3-meter track. They have to create and solve a system of linear equations in an attempt to predict exactly when and where the cars will crash together. Consistently through other projects, such as concrete strength testing, rocket design and launching, and model deck building, learners are collecting data, graphing it, analyzing it, determining slope, and finding lines of best fit in order to make predictions.
The overarching method we use is to have learners plan, create, build, and troubleshoot something physical in the STEM classroom. At the same time they are learning physics concepts in the Conceptual Physics classroom and directly relating them to their project. Both classrooms are consistently using Algebra I eligible content throughout. Learners consistently say “We just learned this in Math!”
Additionally, in my Conceptual Physics classroom, I implement a Flipped Classroom model, where learners obtain “the lesson” in a 7-12 minute video they watch at home and are held accountable through note-taking and in-video quizzes. This allows me to be more efficient with their learning by having more time to work individually on problems with each learner, do more labs, and give more frequent formative assessment as we work through problems. You can find some of these videos on my mrwebbpv YouTube channel playlist labeled “STEM” as well as the main channel. This also allows learners to take in the lessons at their own pace, repeat them, and have more quality time with me.
Laptops play a key role in our course as well. Learners collect motion data with Vernier sensors and process it using Excel. Learners also combine data across the school using Google Forms and then analyze data and create lines of best fit using Google Sheets. Lab reports are developed collaboratively using Google Docs. Schoology is used extensively for course materials and assessment.
Lastly, we coordinate field trips to venture out into the real world for applications and guest speakers to bring the real world into the classroom. Field trips have included an NHRA Army STEM day at Maple Grove, Charles & Alice food company, DART container, CASE New Holland, Millersville University, and Dutchland Concrete. Guest speakers have included a police officer about collision dynamics, a Dutchland Concrete rep to discuss how it’s made and job opportunities, learners from Millersville about Physics, Meteorology, and college, Ames Construction about deck construction, and a video conference with the Department of Energy in Colorado.
Collaboration is key for this course. Every day during 4th period, the two Tech Ed teachers, two Physics teachers, and at least one Math teacher meet for scheduling, development, and troubleshooting. This has been a cornerstone of the program, and because of this collaboration, I would actually feel quite selfish if I accepted this award alone. This course has truly been a team effort among Amy Shay, Tim Hess, Rob Dorshimer, and myself, all of us adding our own expertise and ideas to each project. We have struggled to get lessons together, supported each other in absences, and fought with and for each other’s curricula during this continental shift in how we teach. Additionally, the science department meets every Tuesday over lunch to collaborate regarding the 10th grade STEM and Biology course, Biology Keystones, new technology driven teaching strategies, etc.
STEM is starting to bleed into my other role at the school as the Planetarium Director. In December of 2016 I won a $100,000 grant from Farmers Insurance to upgrade our 50-year-old planetarium. Not only will this keep the planetarium alive, but it is starting a week-long Summer Space STEM program for learners grades 4-6 in the school district. I also commit myself to outreach by using the flipped classroom skills I’ve acquired to create a monthly video, podcast, and email that introduces the planets, constellations, and events in the night sky for that month to the audience, and have established seasonal star parties with my astronomy club at Pequea Valley.
Please provide up to 5 examples of student products that illustrate the nature of STEM and/or evidence of STEM-based practices (photos, videos, documents, URLs, etc.) Résumé (please include teaching experience, professional activities, formal and continuing education, awards and publications, and community involvement)
Attached you will find pictures of projects that learners create throughout the year. They are as follows, including the aspects of STEM:
· CNC routed initials (Coding, Nature of Science, Coordinate Plane)
· Deck Model (Design, Construction, Proportions, Force, Pressure, slope)
· Slow Car (Simple Machines, Work, Power, Design, Systems of Equations)
· MagLev Car (Vacuum forming, Magnetism, Acceleration, Graphing, Polynomials)
· Rocket (Design, Efficiency, Acceleration, Graphing)
· A PDF of our STEMathon presentation, providing more detail into the course
· There is also a link to a video about the Deck Project: https://youtu.be/QGoyoFjwgks?list=PLidqDc1Lba2fN8SaX34PcNSIjZdPoghYZ
· Link to STEM Flipped Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLidqDc1Lba2fN8SaX34PcNSIjZdPoghYZ
· Link to article on grant win: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/pequea-valley-teacher-wins-k-to-upgrade--year-old/article_713968b2-bbf0-11e6-9397-8781a36eb520.html/?k;l