Belleville Introduces STEM Curriculum to Elementary Students

This school year the School District of Belleville’s elementary students have been introduced to Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum.  Kindergarten through fifth grade students have learned about computer science and biomedical science through carefully structured real-world, hands-on activities, projects and problems.  They are learning to be creative, critical thinking problem solvers.  Students communicate and collaborate together as they are encouraged to continuously discover, explore and adopt a design-thinking mindset.
Teachers play an important role as facilitators, coaching students and guiding student’s learning.  Project Lead the Way encourages students to accept failure and focus on perseverance as they gain valuable skills that allow them to solve real world problems.  The knowledge and skills that are developed in the classroom may be applied in everyday life.  Belleville elementary students are becoming empowered independent learners in the classroom so they can be equipped with the tools they need to become life-long learners and problem solvers.
Throughout the 16-17 school year, kindergarten students explored the nature of computers and the ways humans control and use technology. During biomedical science they explored the relationship between structure and function in the human body.  
First graders explored the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities, both with and without a computer.  They focused on key aspects of storytelling and devised how to transition a narrative from page to screen!  During biomedical science, they explored animal adaptations for protection, camouflage, food obtainment, and locomotion.
Second grade students learned about the sequence and structure required in computer programs. They explored how the surface of the Earth is always changing as they investigated the different forces that shape the surface of the Earth and designed solutions to limit the impact of erosion on a fictional community.  
Meanwhile, third graders were taught how to think computationally about a problem and then created a tablet game. Students then investigated the differences between inherited genetic traits and traits learned or influenced by the environment during biomedical science.
Fourth grade students explored how computers work and were taught to compare similarities between parts of the human body and parts that make up a computer.  
Finally, fifth grade students investigated simulations and discovered ideas about computing. They explored the spread of infection in communities, and what the body uses to stay healthy during their unit on biomedical science.
The School District of Belleville is excited to see the skills and knowledge students have obtained while learning with the Project Lead the Way curriculum!  We look forward to continued growth for our students through Project Lead the Way next school year.