Haller Students are Gearing Up for May STEM Fair

The 7^th grade students (and a dozen or so 8th graders) at Haller are gearing up for this year’s STEM Fair, which will be held on May 12, 2016.  This past fall, they have been learning about a variety of Earth Science topics; such as tectonic plates, earthquakes and volcanos.  They have also been studying the scientific method.  Some examples of the topics these young scientists and engineers have chosen to research are tornados, volcanoes, the layers of the earth, earthquakes and water purification.  Currently, they are reading journal articles and designing experiments related to their topic of choice.   They will then conduct their experiments following the scientific method.  Another requirement for their project is to research a particular real-world problem relating to their topic and to engineer a solution to solve this issue.  The final assignment is to present their project at the STEM Fair in May.

I was lucky enough to visit Mrs. Meyers’ classroom, last week, on the day the students were testing plastic straw and paperclip buildings for weight bearing strength and earthquake readiness.  Working in groups, they first drew out their designs for their buildings, which were quite impressive.

After building their structure, they placed it on an “earthquake simulator” and tested its strength with a bag of sand.  If the building held together at that point, they put it to the test by simulating an earthquake.  They discussed whether it was a success or a failure and took notes on what improvements might be made for the next time.

We still need Parent, Family and Community Volunteers!

If you would like to be involved in the project in any way (mentor, STEM Fair set-up, …etc.), or you know of an expert in the field of one or more of the project categories outlined in the assignment who might be willing to share their knowledge and experience, please call or send Mrs. Verlaine Meyers an email as soon as possible. Thanks! Phone: 360-618-6400 x 6440 Email: vmeyers@asd.wednet.edu.