This week, students across Porterville Unified School District have been diving into hands-on activities at the Winter STEAM Camp that began on Monday and ends today. Free for PUSD students in grades TK-6, the camp is providing a fun and engaging way to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) during the holiday season.
Students have been busy conducting science experiments led by the Fresno Discovery Center, building and coding with LEGOs, and tackling engineering challenges in the Makerspace. Art sessions, led by Imagine Arts Center, allow students to express their creativity, while math activities combine learning with practical cooking projects.
Students from pre-K to 6th grade learned about planets, snowflakes, engineering with LEGO Education kits on Wednesday, December 18 at Westfield Elementary School.
In one classroom 4th to 6th grade students listened to an Fresno Discover Center instructor talk about the planets and the solar system. She spoke about not knowing exactly how many planets are in our solar system now, and the many different galaxies and naming a few; "Comet, Andromeda, not just the Milky Way." She also talked to the students about what astronauts have to learn and said the word, "astronaut" is from Greek meaning "star sailor."
In another classroom 2nd and 3rd grade students learned no two snowflakes are alike. They watched a film about a man who in the late 19th century studied snowflakes and took the first photographs of them. They learned the word "Emergence" about how snowflakes form. About how water freezes as it gets colder. And a snowflake forms when a piece of pollen is surrounded by water molecules. And they are all unique.
To understand the word unique, presenters and instructors spoke about something unique to them, and asked the students to tell them something unique about themselves.
They then made a snowflake design using wooden popcicle sticks and coloring.
In another classroom 5th and 6th grade students were building propeller cars with sails using LEGO Education kits. The students then took their propeller cars outside and had a race with them using air to propel them by waving a plastic cover to make a breeze to move them forward.
It was a lot of fun to watch, and the kids learned a little about how sails and wind propulsion works. Students who participated in the Propeller car races Jaylene Cordero and Caiden Cardenas, 9, said you have to use a lot of pressure to get the car going and it felt awesome to build it as a team.
The EXL program has been at PUSD for four years and is scheduled outside of school time like an after school program. Children can have fun and learn at the same time in activities. "Students can stay connected to local community schools and have fun opportunities," said Leticia Bradley. Students from all 10 PUSD Elementary schools can participate in the EXL camps.
The ability of our district to provide educational opportunities outside the traditional school setting highlights our commitment to connecting students to their community and to each other. Programs like the Winter STEAM Camp not only keep students engaged in learning during school breaks but also foster creativity, collaboration, and hands-on exploration that bring students from different schools together in meaningful ways," said Hannah Moore, PUSD Public Relations Coordinator.