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Everyday Science at American Academy – Anything but Ordinary



Article by Kathy Dunker

A day at American Academy (AA) is a day of exploration. AA places a special emphasis on teaching their students science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). To support that part of its mission, AA treats science class as an essential rather than an elective. From the smallest kindergartner to the tallest eighth grader, every student has a science class every day in addition to the usual required subjects.

Three times each year, students in every grade are treated to an extra glimpse of the world of STEM through real world application. Known as STEM Weeks at the school, these specially scheduled weeks of curriculum include visits from experts in STEM fields, including architects, engineers, geneticists and geologists.

Students become involved in problem solving projects like the design of an evacuation system for a town in the shadow of a volatile volcano. Sometimes there are field trips to allow students to step into a STEM field firsthand and experience what it might be like to be a marine biologist or an archaeologist or an aeronautics engineer.

First graders completed their investigation of various earth materials (clay, sand, and soil) to be used in a mortar to build stone walls by participating in engineering teams. Teams presented their final wall design and mortar mixture to a panel of judges who asked questions and allowed students an opportunity to try on the role of a civil engineer.

Third graders investigated the Wings’ Aviation Science Program (WASP) which began with a focus on the history of flight and the principles of aeronautical engineering. They learned the difference between falling and gliding as it relates to flight, and explored wing design. Students applied the engineering process in the design of an airplane and construction of their own rockets.

Eighth graders took part in “Space Station Alpha,” which allowed students to experience a simulation in which astronauts aboard the International Space Station are trying to protect themselves from the worst solar flare ever recorded. Students were grouped into several teams to collect data and provide recommendations to shield the astronauts from the harmful radiation and to ensure the International Space Station had enough power to get through an eclipse as it weathered this solar storm.

It’s no surprise that AA students look forward to these weeks with special enthusiasm. To learn more about American Academy’s curriculum, visit the school’s website at www.americanacademyk8.org.

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