Pleasant Valley kindergartners embrace STEM
Kindergartners Matthew Flemming and Jolisha Shuler demonstrate pressure using a hair dryer and Ping-Pong balls. JUDY DOLGOS-KRAMER/TIMES NEWS
The kindergartners were taught about structure and stability and then given blocks to try to create their own sturdy buildings.
Last week, students at Pleasant Valley Elementary school got to experience the principles of science, technology, engineering and mathematics firsthand from Mad Science of Lehigh Valley.
A STEM education encourages a hands-on, collaborative learning experience for children. The program at PVE was funded through a Ready to Learn Grant.
A number of science educators from Mad Science of Lehigh Valley spent most of the week at the school interacting with the different grade levels, demonstrating various scientific processes and having the students participate in the activities.
Bill Petterson, the chief mad scientist at Mad Science, created the program with age-appropriate activities and demonstrations.
“We encourage the kids to get involved,” Petterson said. “Each child takes home materials that allow them to demonstrate what they learned at home. Seeing the science in actions makes them more anxious to learn more and gets them motivated at a young age.”
The kindergartners participated in demonstrations of pressure, aerodynamics, structure and force.
Petterson used force to shoot a Styrofoam cup off a student’s head. Other students used paper helicopters to demonstrate drag and glide. David Yeager demonstrated how to form a vacuum and used hair dryers to explain pressure.
At another station the children learned that a tripod is sturdier than a square in building a structure.
