STEM Program Offers Unique Learning Opportunities

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

WARSAW  — After seeing STEM programs being offered to elementary students by other county extension programs, Andrew Ferrell, county extension director and 4-H youth development director, decided to bring a similar program to Kosciusko County.

To assist him, he recruited four high school 4-H’ers, two from Warsaw Community High School, and two from Tippecanoe Valley High School, who were interested in either a career in STEM or education.

Prior to going out to area elementary schools, Ferrell spent a month creating the lessons, based on state standards and his knowledge from being an elementary school teacher before joining the extension.

More lessons will be added in the future. Ferrell explained he’s keeping a spread sheet of which lessons are taught at each of the schools so there is no repetition.

He then taught his young assistants how to do the various lessons or experiments. Once they knew how to do the experiment, he turned the tables on them and had them teach him the material to make sure they understood it.

The STEM in the Classroom program is made up of various lessons in robotics, programming and coding, mechanical engineering and design, 3-D printing, chemical reactions and states of matter and much more.

Many of the lessons are contained in grab-and-go totes, although there is also a spin bike, which features a platform for either a blender or a special drum.

Ferrell said if a student pedals long enough, he or she can get the blender going fast enough to make a smoothie. Or if using the drum, a sheet of paper is attached inside. As the student pedals, the paper begins to spin. While the paper is spinning, paint is dropped onto the paper to make an art piece.

Ferrell started STEM in the Classroom last year. So far, approximately 300 students have been taught. When visiting a school, Ferrell brings lessons for four stations. He helps his student leaders set up their station and then helps navigate things as they teach the younger kids.

Each lesson takes about 15 minutes and then the students move onto the next station.

Since the programs started Ferrell has visited Mentone, Milford, Madison and Claypool elementary schools.

“It’s just been word of mouth (so far),” he said.

The program is geared for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

“We adjust the lesson for each grade,” Ferrell explained.”

The program also offers the high school leaders a unique opportunity. Other than an internship or externship, this program allows older students to get a real taste of what its like to be in the classroom.

“I need both sides to see the value of the program,” he said. “I want more kids in my 4-H program to say ‘this is so cool.’”

Ferrell is looking for more student leaders. High school students interested in helping do not have to be enrolled in 4-H to participate. They just need to reach out to Ferrell at (574) 372-2340 or [email protected].

Ferrell is already working on expanding some of the existing lessons in the STEM in the Classroom. One is taking the robotics lesson and creating a battle-bot situation where the kids have to find a way to protect a balloon attached to the robot from being popped.

The kids use items, like bamboo skewers and paper plates, to create different ways of shielding the balloon.

“We’ll try this three times,” Ferrell said showing a video on the 4-H Facebook page. “They keep making modifications to their devices.”

Ferrell said he and his student leaders already have four sessions set up at various schools and hope to do more.

“We’ll come in and spend a couple of hours (with the kids),” he said. “Fridays are always popular to have us come in.”