Bubble Bonanza!

STEM stands for "science, technology, engineering and math".  If you have not heard of it before, you will now and continue to hear about STEM as it is a big push in schools right now.  While we use technology, science, and math in class, not always to we recognize that many professions use STEM skills as well.  Our goal is to expose students to various skills needed to enter professions that utilize STEM.

Last year, the 3rd grade teachers were awarded a STEM grant in which students explored bubbles as well as engineered various wants for different tasks.  This year, we continued the Bubble Bonanza with a full day of bubbles.  Students were asked to complete many challenges such as make a wand to make the largest bubble, make a want to make the smallest bubbles, the most bubbles, etc.  Various materials were provided and lots of discussion happened throughout the day.  A big question students first needed to determine was what shape was the bubble if the wand was not a circle.  We found that no matter what shape of the wand, the bubble always turned to a circle when it came out.  Interesting!

We will continue with the STEM activities, as well as many others, throughout the year.  Here are some pictures of the beginnings of our Bubble Bonanza.