Elementary students recently had the opportunity to challenge their minds with fun STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) experiments courtesy of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Engineering Ambassadors.
At Harmony Hill, fourth and fifth graders learned about the basics of circuits and water filtration.
The fourth graders enjoyed the circuit presentation, which was accompanied by different hands-on activities which allowed them to build circuits that could power a fan or turn on a light.
The fifth graders built their own gravity filters using various materials such as coffee filters, pebbles, cotton balls, and towels. By testing the turbidity (clarity), they were able to see just how important filters are in cleaning the water we drink.
Third, fourth and fifth graders at Abram Lansing enjoyed a hands-on presentation about bio-mimicry (imitation of the living) and engineering. Students got to imitate birds by making their own version of bio-mimicry with paper airplanes.
Students also had fun learning about how to get into orbit by making Alka-seltzer rockets and they also received a lesson about sea level rise.
Over at Van Schaick, students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade put on their engineering hats to make bridges and then tested their weight and had the fun task of making roller coasters with foam piping to learn about gravity and kinetic energy.
Through the combination of the presentation and hands-on activities, our elementary students enjoyed a fun day of learning about STEM! Thank you to the RPI students for visiting – it’s safe to say they had just as much fun as our students.