Sagamore Hills Elementary

Dekalb County Schools

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STEM at Sagamore Hills Elementary

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Posted Monday, September 15, 2014
STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Sagamore Hills Elementary was selected to be a member of a cohort of schools in the DeKalb County School District to pursue STEM certification in Georgia. We will continue our school-wide events such as the Sagamore Hills Math Team and Tournament, Science Olympiad, and our extraordinary Science Night. We will continue the 5 Star Restoration Project with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to plant indigenous plants on our campus and restore the natural habitat. We will enhance the curriculum with STEM integration across all content areas and through multiple school-wide STEM days throughout the school year where students will engage in experiments and projects. Our STEM Days include STEM Club Days, LEGO Days, a school-wide Egg Drop Competition and Paper Airplane Contest, Math Trail Day, and Space Days. The Sagamore STEM initiative includes parental and community involvement as we engage science experts to share their knowledge with our students. We have created a teaching garden for every Sagamore student to experience. Technology integration is a key component of our STEM education program. The use of the Mac Lab, laptops, iPads, and other devices are pervasive in teaching and learning. STEM education is experienced by all Sagamore Hills Elementary School students every day across multiple content areas.

The long range goal of STEM education is to prepare students for a full range of college and career options, including aspiring to become the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians. Beginning at the elementary level we will build the knowledge and skills students need, including creativity, communication, and problem solving skills. We will integrate the disciplines of STEM in all content areas. Our students will engage in real-world collaborative problem solving activities.

What does STEM look like in the classroom?
Students . . .
  • Asking questions and defining problems
  • Planning and carrying out investigations
  • Analyzing and interpreting data
  •  Using information and critical thinking assisted by technology
  • Constructing explanations and designing solutions
  •  Gathering, evaluating, and communicating information
Research tells us that students learn best when encouraged to construct their own knowledge of the world around them. Through an integrated approach to STEM education focused on real-world, authentic problems, students learn to reflect on the problem-solving process. Students at Sagamore Hills Elementary will experience projects that involve solving authentic problems, working with others, and building real solutions.
www.stemgeorgia.org        www.NSTA.org       www.eie.org