STEM Fair allows ASK
sixth graders to explore interests
JUNE 5, 2012
 How
have video games evolved? What holds up the bridge?
The answers to these and other challenging questions where
presented by Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School sixth graders at the
school’s first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics) Fair.
The STEM Fair was
similar to a traditional science fair – except the possibilities
for exploration were endless. Students were encouraged to
explore topics that matched their specific interests. They had
six weeks to research the topic, write a report, and design a
creative display to present their findings.
The results were impressive. Projects ranged from a wind turbine
and giant roller coaster to a handcrafted suspension bridge and
an authentic replica of a canal lock. Family and friends were
invited to see the students’ handiwork, which was proudly
displayed in the school gym for two days.
 The
goal was to strengthen the students’ skills in science, math and
other STEM subjects. As noted by Jody Case-Kennedy, the academic
intervention services teacher who worked with the sixth grade
teachers to institute the STEM Fair, the tech-savy projects also
“gave the students the opportunity to express themselves and to
explore their interests.”
“STEM jobs are the wave of the future,” says Case-Kennedy. With
the need for computer programmers, research-based scientists,
and other skilled workers continuing to increase, the sixth
grade teachers hope this type of hands-on project will get more
students interested in science and math.
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