HughHarris

How do we prepare our children for the next generation of jobs? STEM Them!

According to a NewsChanel5.com * article its estimated that in the next 6 years the state of TN will need to fill more that 100,000 jobs in the science and technology industry. That’s why STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) educational initiatives are so crucial and that’s why FCA is leading the way with its STEM program. 

The State of TN legislature has formed a caucus to develop information and strategies to help legislatures develop improved programs within the state.

Here are few things that FCA is pursuing in regards to our STEM Program. Jim Tannahill our math/science teacher at FCA & STEM coordinator is developing an exciting program for our students.

FCA STEM Initiatives:

Grants: we have received our first official STEM grant (see Sea Perch below). We are looking for grant ideas or leads.  We need money for equipment, field trips and special projects, like the ability to bring in speakers for demonstrations or interactive learning events.
–FCA Science Fair
The first FCA Middle School Science Fair will be held on Friday morning, 24 Feb, from 9-12:30.  Judges that have no students (guardian or relative) in the competition.
8th graders will be with their projects from 09:30-10:30, 7th graders from 10:30-11:30 and 5th/6th graders from 11:30-12:30.  I will provide judges with a scoring rubric and some generic questions in two categories: science experiments and science demonstrations.  You can judge for one grade or all three.

FCA would also like to give a prize to the top two projects in each grade and is looking for sponsors who are willing to donate gift cards, money or services for the Science Fair. Also, the 5-8th grade English teachers will be helping students write their abstracts and other supporting documents on the march to the fair!

-Middle School STEM Week Without Walls 12-16 March
Dawn Hoesel and I will be hosting STEM WWW with the 7th and 8th graders.  We will be building Sea Perch Undersea Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV’s) and testing them on Tuesday, 13 March.  Thanks to a grant from the Office of Naval Research’s Sea Perch Program, twenty-two $125 ROV kits and two $200 tool kits were provided free of charge.

FCA will be the 4th Sea Perch Program in TN and the only school in the Nashville area.  Two of the programs are at the college level (Univ of Memphis FEDEX Institute of Technology and TN Tech in Cookeville) and the only other middle-high school program in the state is an all girls private school in Memphis.  Success with Sea Perch makes us unique in the Nashville area.

We will also take a trip to the NASA Center in Huntsville, build water bottle rockets/launchers, build bridges from noodles, conduct a LEGO Crash and Smash Car Rally and do some Crime Scene Investigation.

-5th and 6th grade STEM
The 5th and 6th graders will rebuild the Sea Perch’s (with the exception of the remote controls and waterproofing the motors) after Spring Break.  This allows FCA to reuse the $125 kits, use some of the 7th and 8th graders to help teach the younger ones while taking the skill level required down a grade.

FCA STEM is pursuing a week-long STEM Camp in June 2012, using the remaining 7-8 Sea Perch’s we have. I have also petitioned the Franklin Special School District to participate in their Young Scholar’s Institute with the Sea Perch’s.

* Newschannel 5 article:

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16583307/stem-legislative-committee-meets-on-capitol-hill

January 24, 2012 - Posted by hughharrisfca | Education