Middle School Design Day Highlights STEM Careers
How did nature inspire the idea for VELCRO? What is the secret to designing a successful snack food or a nutritious smoothie? And how can you make the tallest free-standing marshmallow tower using pasta, string and tape?
Students at Shaker Heights Middle School learned the answers to these and other important design problems thanks to the expert guidance of Shaker Heights parents who work in STEM careers (science, technology, engineering and math).
More than a dozen community members shared their expertise at a schoolwide Design Day organized by the Middle School PTO in collaboration with the Middle School Design teachers. Every Middle School student takes one semester of Design class per year, so another Design Day will be offered second semester.
Students learned real-life applications for STEM skills from an architect, financial planner, industrial engineer, graphic designer, consumer brand manager, nutritionist, landscape architect, civil engineer, physician and a group of biomedical engineering students from Case Western Reserve University.
In addition to learning about STEM careers, students worked to solve hands-on design challenges presented by the volunteers, such as enhancing the Shaker Raider logo using graphic design software or acting as managers of a construction project.
The PTO also sponsored a session with Great Lakes Biomimicry, an organization that supports entrepreneurial innovation by mimicking principles found in nature. As one example, students learned that the idea for VELCRO came from studying burrs that cling to clothing and animal fur. Their presentation highlighted the key IB principles of inquiry and collaborative problem solving.
Says Design teacher Dexter Lindsey, “This program gives students the opportunity put into practice the design cycle of plan, create, and evaluate. If it doesn’t work the first time, then we ask, ‘What do we need to do differently?’ The kids like that it focuses on their creativity.”
Middle School PTO members Gretchen Witt and Mity Fowler coordinated the event with the help of Design teachers Laurie Freeman, Dexter Lindsey, Morgan Snyder and Tracey Warren. Interested in sharing your STEM skills for the next Design Day? Please e-mail Gretchen Witt: [email protected].
Posted: Friday, January 13, 2017