Archived STEAM(group lesson)

Leonardo da Vinci's 7 Principles

Curiosita (Curiosity)

Arte-Scienza (Art and Science)

An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.

Whole-Brain thinking. The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination.

Dimostrazione (Demonstation)

A commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and willingness to learn from mistakes.

Corporalita (The Body)

The cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise. Balancing the body and mind.

Sensazione (Sensation)

Connessione (Connections)

The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience.

A recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena. Systems thinking.

Sfumato (Smoke)

Becoming open to the unknown. A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.

Da Vinci's seven principles come from the following website:
daVinci: Research, Design, Education. In The Seven Da Vincian Principles. Retrieved June 25, 2017, from http://www.davinci.ac.za/the-seven-da-vincian-principles/.

STEAM 2011-2012

1st Lesson: Introduction to STEM

Through this lesson students will be able to list the components of STEM and briefly describe why our school is a STEM school and why it's important for them. Click the image to the right in the picture column to watch a video from a STEM middle school. (password: STEM)
Also, click here to learn about STEM careers that will open up a world of possibilities for you as you advance from elementary school through college!

2nd Lesson: You Are What You Eat

Healthy nutrition is a daily science experiment for your body! Through this lesson students will learn about nutrition and how what we eat affects how we feel and how healthy we are. Students will also learn about the food pyramid and the new MyPlate program. Try the link to the right - a game about the food pyramid!

3rd Lesson: Jenga Engineering

There's a reason little children love to build with blocks - IT'S FUN! Not only is it fun, but by building with blocks we can learn the basic concepts of engineering and architecture. With this unit, students will understand basic structural building techniques and vocabulary. Students will also construct tower structures using Jenga blocks. For more information about engineering, visit the Library Protopage's Engineering Fun Websites.

4th Lesson: Heart Science

"Tell me where is fancy bred? Or in the heart or in the head?"
- William Shakespeare
In addition to being an organ associated with love and devotion, the heart is the most powerful muscle in the human body. Students will understand the function of the heart and how it helps us during exercise. Through a series of movement exploration activities, students will experiment how our heart reacts. 3rd -5th grade students will use heart rate monitors to help them understand how their heart functions. Click the heart to the right to learn more!

5th Lesson: Astronomy

STARlab is here! Ponderosa Panthers are always excited when the STARlab takes us on a cosmic journey. For this STEAM Exploration, not only will students blast off to the stars in the STARlab, but students will also learn about rotation and orbit, constellations, and the Solar System. Check out the link to the right for more fun that is "out of this world!"

6th Lesson: Aviation

Aviation is perfect for STEM Exploration! Aviation involves science, technology, engineering and math! Students will learn what aviation is and how it covers all of our areas of STEM. Students will also have the opportunity to build their own airplane that can successfully go the distance. Check out the paper airplane link to the right to build other models of airplanes.

7th Lesson: DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!

Let's add an 'A' to STEM and make STEAM! The 'A' stands for Arts and this month we are going to explore Dance. Thank you Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble for coming to our school to teach our school several dance styles from around the world ... Capoeira, Salsa, Lindy-Hop Swing, West African Dance and Hip-Hop. Our very own Ms. Braun will be teaching us one additional dance form - Irish Dance. Actually, the benefits of dance are far reaching ; dance touches on all of our STEAM areas if you think about it! Can you figure out how dance fits Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math? We will explore this notion during our STEAM Exploration Time.

STEM Link

Preston JHS STEM Camp Video

Nutrition Links

Learn about the new Food Pyramid guidelines here!

Engineering Links

Check out the exciting world of engineering here!

Heart Science Links

Want to learn about about what makes your "tick?" Click here!

Astronomy Links

What better website to learn about Astronomy than from the experts at NASA - click here!

Aviation Links

Did you enjoy making paper airplanes during STEAM Exploration? Here's a link to make other designs!

DANCE Link

Here's the link to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Join a class or see one of their performances!

STEAM Exploration 2012-2013

Ponderosa students will have the opportunity to participate in 5 STEAM Exploration lessons during the 2012-2013 school year. See the lessons below and the links to the right to find fun information about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

1st Lesson: You Are What You Eat

2nd Lesson: Jenga Engineering

There's a reason little children love to build with blocks - IT'S FUN! Not only is it fun, but by building with blocks we can learn the basic concepts of engineering and architecture. With this unit, students will understand basic structural building techniques and vocabulary. Students will also construct tower structures using Jenga blocks. 4th and 5th grade will construct stable structures using spaghetti and marshmallows. For more information about engineering, visit the Library Protopage's Engineering Fun Websites.