STREAM

STREAM INITIATIVE GOALS:

• Reflect the diocesan commitment to academic excellence as outlined in “Faith in Tomorrow”

• Update educational programming to reflect 21st century learning

• Promote interdisciplinary, dynamic and relevant student learning

• Increase investment in professional development and reinvigorate our teaching professionals

• Emphasize  collaboration within and among our diocesan schools utilizing STREAM Coordinators

WHAT IS STREAM?

• STEM + Religion + the Arts = STREAM

IS STREAM EDUCATION LIKE STEM EDUCATION?

• STREAM is the necessary evolution of STEM Education

• Science +Technology + Religion + Engineering + the Arts + Mathematics = STREAM

• STEM Education emphasizes the progression of interdisciplinary studies in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math; STREAM EDUCATION also incorporates the creativity and    expression of the Arts and our faith as integral components of a 21st century Catholic education.

WHAT IS STREAM LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM?

• Lessons, units, and community education programs are  based on the eight STREAM principles which  promote a higher level of critical thinking  and a deeper understanding of content materials

• STREAM activities are hands-on; projects based, include engineering design,  and have relevant application in the real world

• It inspires teachers to include and develop 21st century instructional strategies at every grade level

• STREAM takes learning outside the traditional classroom experience through customized field trips and dynamic, interactive outreach programming in collaboration with our professional community partners

We are currently offering the following STREAM Academies after school:

Kitchen Chem:

An introduction to food preparation is a way to reinforce and teach subjects like science, math, and reading, and provides a fun, hands-on way to introduce young students to other life skills such as budgeting, problem- solving, grocery shopping and more!

In addition to food preparation, some of the things students will learn about are the origins of food, healthy food choices, and not only how to achieve accurate measurements, but why it is so essential to the final outcome of a recipe. Food tastings and identification, as well as safe kitchen practices will be emphasized.

Arcade Academy:

Based on “Caine’s Arcade,” this course invites students to design and build fun and engaging arcade games made from cardboard, recycled materials and imagination.

Alternative NRG:

EVENT I: SUN BOX DERBY

Students will learn the ins and outs of solar power generation and solar panels, all leading up to the design and construction of their own solar-powered vehicle. The culminating event of this course – a race to the finish! Who can maximize the amount of energy generated while creating

their most efficient car design?

EVENT II: WHIRLWIND DERBY

Students will explore wind power and turbines and discuss how energy is generated from wind. Students will design and make turbine blades by working through the engineering process to modify their blades for maximum energy output for this competition

Rockin’ Roller Coaster:

What gives your stomach that strange queasy sensation when you are going up or downhill on your favorite rollercoaster? What keeps the cars from flying off the track? If you change the shape of a corkscrew, how will it change the ride? Find out the answers to these burning questions and more with this STREAM Academy course!

Students will research the history of roller coasters, the physics that they employ, test run computer generated coasters, and ultimately design and build their own marble roller coaster that WILL work!

Game On! Video Game Design:

Do your students love playing video games? Take student coding and engineering skills to the next level and introduce them to the world of a video game designer! In this high energy course, students will learn critical thinking skills, problem solving, and even explore the video game design career. Coding is crucial in today's society. Between web design, graphic design, and

computer programmers, students will learn the engineering design process to experience how a video game is built.

GEAR UP! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Why include engineering at the elementary level?
Many of the jobs that our students will hold in their lifetime do not currently exist.  Education needs to be more focused on developing 21^st-Century skills such as communicating, collaborating, critical-thinking and creative problem-solving.  Students will benefit greatly with the integration of the engineering design process in their classes through their exposure to critical thinking, collaborative design, evaluating and redesign work.  Most students learn best by doing; GEAR UP will get them “doing”!
Also, studies show that student interest in STEM subject areas peaks between the ages of 9 and 14 making elementary/middle school the perfect place to fuel their futures.
 
How was the Diocese of Buffalo curriculum developed?
Our GEAR UP program parallels the Virginia Children’s Engineering Council.  We visited schools in Virginia to observe their program, slightly modified the format and created original design briefs to correlate with the Common Core standards and to incorporate Religion.
 
What does engineering look like at the elementary level across the curriculum?
Each engineering project consists of two parts:  the design brief that details the problem (challenge), criteria and materials and the guided portfolio which directs the students through the engineering design process.
The engineering design process will not be limited to science class with the upcoming
Next Gen Science Standards.  In fact, you will find it integrated across many subject areas with broad educational benefits and plentiful real-life applications.
 
A primary design brief has the students designing a bed for Jesus which would be appropriate for the Christmas season.  Second graders will read the book, “A Chair for Mother”, and design a chair for their mothers.  A seventh grade brief has the students designing and making a personal water carrying device to connect with the book “A Long Walk to Water” with a possible extension of students walking laps around the gym using their created devices as a fundraiser for the organization Water for South Sudan.