Russell Elementary School is working toward joining Cobb Schools’ growing list of STEM-certified schools. So, Russell educators recently dedicated a day of learning to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 

Each grade level had a STEM professional speak with them on how the learning standards connect with real careers. Students worked on STEM projects and got to talk to STEM professionals from NASA, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pet Supplies Plus, Cobb Master Gardeners, Cobb County Farm Bureau, University of Georgia Extension, and a computer programmer. 

Students collaborated to research, plan, and create models to demonstrate mastery of the concepts. Russell kindergarten students became engineers and designed and built roller coasters. The 1st graders collaborated to research and create their own weather station weather reports. The 2nd graders used Minecraft and their study of motion to design amusement parks. In 3rd grade, students investigated weathering and erosion on Russell’s campus and created digital models of solutions. For 4th grade, students created digital interactive books about the stars and planets. The 5th-grade students used their knowledge of the classification of organisms to create a museum of new animal species. Students in the 2nd and 4th grades also learned that the sky is the limit as they experienced the StarLab Planetarium.

“STEM Day is important for Russell students because it takes what they have learned and uses it to solve real-world problems. The STEM challenges integrated science, language arts, math, writing, technology, and sometimes social studies into an engaging creative project,” explained Russell STEM Coach Krystal Evans. “The students were completely engaged and were able to see themselves in future careers.”

Next month, Russell will welcome a civil engineer and a geologist as students continue learning about jobs in the STEM field.