STEAM: Get Your Head in the Clouds
Authors: Brandy Ferrell, Chelsey Kiser, and Haley Hamilton
Faculty Supervisor: Debra L. Smith, Ed.D.
Abstract:
For the service-learning and STEAM activity, teacher candidates worked in small groups to connect the areas of Science and Math with one of the Fine Arts. Our group used Clouds as a catalyst and helped the students at Altama Elementary make a connection between Science and Visual Art. We started with real-world knowledge and had the students discuss what they already knew about clouds. We began with the Science aspect of clouds, how clouds were created, and the many different types of clouds. Then, we let the activity take a different twist. Everyone has looked at clouds and seen a familiar object, animal, or a face. When we passed out individual photographs of real clouds, the excitement level in the classroom skyrocketed to a whole new level. Students began drawing what they saw in the photographs and using their imagination. One of the best things about the activity that day was the way that students expressed curiosity and interest in their neighbor’s creations and the way they wanted to share their own ideas with each other. As ‘almost teachers’, we also learned first-hand the amount of work it takes to bring a cohesive and valid activity to fruition.
