Students in Mrs. Brooks’ 3rd grade class at Conway worked in collaborative groups to act as safety engineers. This lesson is a trans disciplinary project inspired by the district’s STEM cohort. The students were given the task of making an “evacuation plan” for a flood on the “Island of Fun and Fitness.” This project allowed students to think about the challenges and struggles being faced by the many areas that have recently been dealing with flooding.
Their work included strategically deciding on supplies to purchase, using their math skills to round and estimate their total cost for supplies, and then making a map to plan the evacuation route. The final step was to test their evacuation plans, and then work to improve upon the plans. The third graders did an amazing job asking questions to ensure their plans met all of the constraints and criteria. The drone footage shows 1 of the 6 “engineering teams” testing their first evacuation plan. The other engineers are analyzing the plans to help them during the revision process.
The class loved fulfilling the STEM vision: Students and Teachers Engaging Minds!