K-2 STEAM Program At a Glance

K-2 STEAM Program At a Glance Langley students in kindergarten, first, and second grades meet with our STEAM teacher regularly throughout the year, becoming scientists and engineers as they work together to make discoveries and solve real-life problems. Science is all about asking questions and engineering is about solving problems, and the STEAM program goes hand-in-hand with Langley’s inquiry-based approach to learning. Research shows that instruction in engineering improves learning in science, math, and other subjects.

About the STEAM Curriculum

Langley’s course follows the national standards from Next Generation Science Standards and the International Society for Technology in Education and is scaffolded over three years.

• Each STEAM unit begins with scientific exploration and experiments which students are able to apply into engineering challenges.

• Students work collaboratively to design a solution to a problem, analyzing data and making informed decisions along the way.

• The curriculum is designed to show students how the topics they

learn in science and math connect to the world around them, such as making a stronger glue for the school, creating a container for plants, adding more shade to the playground, or designing a recording booth for the classroom.

• Students apply concepts from the three disciplines of science

(Earth/space, life, and physical science) to real-life problems which gives them a deeper understanding of the ideas.

Grade

Earth/Space Science

Life Science

Physical Science

Kindergarten

Weather Patterns Sunlight

Animal & Plant Needs

Force & Motion

First Grade

Spinning Sky

Animal Defenses Biomimicry

Light & Sound

Second Grade

Water & Landforms

Biodiversity Plant/Animal Dependency

States of Matter Properties of Materials

Technology as a Tool

Technology is fully embedded into the STEAM curriculum and is used as a tool to enhance student understanding, communication, and collaboration.

Students demonstrate their understanding and creativity through a choice of engaging multimedia projects, including: • green screen projects • stop-motion animation • photo collages • screencasts Coding is introduced in kindergarten as a way for students to create animations and models using visual Blockly coding language.

Students create content-based games and stories in Scratch Jr., build interactive models of animals with LEGO WeDo 2.0 robots, and code the Dash and BeeBot robots to interact with the world and solve problems.

Developing Skills Through STEAM

Deeply rooted in the STEAM curriculum is an emphasis on the four C’s: • Communication • Collaboration • Critical thinking • Creativity Most of the work in STEAM classes is done with partners or small groups and is purposely designed to allow for multiple solutions or ideas. Students are taught specific strategies and concrete language for working collaboratively to make sure that everyone’s voices are heard and respected. Communication skills are developed through speaking, writing, drawing, and building, with opportunities to share and present along the way.

As students go through the engineering design process, they learn the importance and challenge of improving and redesigning their work, requiring perseverance, grit, and creative thinking when their first, second, or third iteration does not work.

The curriculum and programs referenced here may change, as we believe educational programs should continually evolve to meet the needs of our students.