Wednesday, April 10, 2024
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Vol. 53, No. 42
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
S T E M program offers unique learning opportunities SPIN BIKE ART — Students at Milford Elementary School try the spin bike during S.T.E.M. in the Classroom, offered by Purdue Extension Kosciusko County. The girl pedals the bike fast enough to spin the drum, which has a piece of paper attached to it while her classmate squeeze paint onto
By LAUREN ZEUGNER Editor
After seeing S.T.E.M. programs being offered to elementary students by other county extension programs, Andrew Ferrell, county extension director and 4-H youth development director, decided to bring a similar program to Kosciusko County. To assist him, he recruited four high school 4-H’ers, two from Warsaw Community High School, and two from Tippecanoe Valley High School, who were interested in either a career in S.T.E.M. or education. Prior to going out to area elementary schools, Ferrell spent a month creating the lessons, based on state standards and his knowledge from being an elementary school teacher before joining the extension. More lessons will be added in the future. Ferrell explained he’s keeping a spread sheet of which lessons are taught at each of the schools so there is no repetition. He then taught his young assistants how to do the various lessons or experiments. Once they knew how to do the experiment, he turned the tables on them and had them teach him the material to make sure they understood it. The S.T.E.M. in the Classroom program is made up of various
the paper. The bike also has a blender attachment and can make smoothies if the person pedaling pedals fast enough. Photo provided by Andrew Ferrell.
lessons in Each lesrobotics, proson takes gramming about 15 and coding, minutes mechanical and then engineering the stuand design, dents move 3-D printing, onto the chemical renext staactions and tion. states of matSince the ter and much programs more. started Many of Ferrell the lessons has visited are contained Mentone, in grab-andMilford, go totes, alMadison though there and Clayis also a spin pool elbike, which ementary features a schools. platform “It’s just for either a been word STATE OF MATTER — Students at Madison Elementary School blender or a of mouth mix up oobleck, a substance that demonstrates viscosity. Hit it with a special drum. (so far),” he fist and it won’t dent. Push a finger into and it reacts like quick sand, Ferrell said said. pulling the finger into it. This is one of the lessons offered by Purdue if a student The proExtension’s S.T.E.M. in the Classroom program. Photo provided by pedals long gram is Andrew Ferrell. enough, he or geared for she can get the students in blender going fast enough to make Classroom last year. So far, approx- kindergarten through sixth grade. a smoothie. Or if using the drum, imately 300 students have been “We adjust the lesson for each a sheet of paper is attached inside. taught. When visiting a school, grade,” Ferrell explained.” As the student pedals, the paper Ferrell brings lessons for four staThe program also offers the begins to spin. While the paper is tions. He helps his student leaders high school leaders a unique opspinning, paint is dropped onto the set up their station and then helps portunity. Other than an internpaper to make an art piece. navigate things as they teach the ship or externship, this program Ferrell started S.T.E.M. in the younger kids. allows older students to get a real
taste of what its like to be in the classroom. “I need both sides to see the value of the program,” he said. “I want more kids in my 4-H program to say ‘this is so cool.’” Ferrell is looking for more student leaders. High school students interested in helping do not have to be enrolled in 4-H to participate. They just need to reach out to Ferrell at (574) 372-2340 or adferrell@purdue.edu. Ferrell is already working on expanding some of the existing lessons in the S.T.E.M. in the Classroom. One is taking the robotics lesson and creating a battlebot situation where the kids have to find a way to protect a balloon attached to the robot from being popped. The kids use items, like bamboo skewers and paper plates, to create different ways of shielding the balloon. “We’ll try this three times,” Ferrell said showing a video on the 4-H Facebook page. “They keep making modifications to their devices.” Ferrell said he and his student leaders already have four sessions set up at various schools and hope to do more. “We’ll come in and spend a couple of hours (with the kids),” he said. “Fridays are always popular to have us come in.”