Although November 8th is National STEM Day, here at WSMF, students in grades one through eight are celebrating STEM everyday in their Science in Nature class. The topics of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are often explored by experiencing things first hand out in nature. By immersing ourselves in nature and finding the joy and beauty of the planet, students can begin to nurture their scientific curiosities. From building insect homes to designing an animal research study, students across the grades are honing their STEM skills every day.
In Waldorf education, the topics that students are introduced to in the classroom are brought to life through art. The addition of art in STEM content opens the door to wider paths of knowledge and understanding of concepts. The second grade students are currently learning about temperature, weather and seasons. They are recording the temperature each time we have class. They use different colors of yarn to represent the temperatures of the day. They then attach this yarn to a beautiful stick and as the year goes on and seasons change, they will begin to notice a pattern in the colors of the yarn. They have already started to notice patterns and are very excited to predict what color yarn they will use each class. This intersection of art and STEM is the perfect illustration of how these topics, when used hand in hand, can uplift and strengthen scientific content.
Although there is only one “official” STEM day, there are so many wonderful ways that families can celebrate STEM any day of the year:
- Take a nature walk and make observations about what you see
- Cook dinner together
- Look at the moon and stars
- Build a fort
- Remember: science is all about asking questions, curiosity and exploring your ideas but you don’t have to know the answer to every question. Ask aloud questions starting with “I wonder…” or “How does…”. If your child asks you a question you aren’t sure of, that is a great opportunity to do research together. Go to the library or make a quick search online to work together to find the answer!
Anyone can be a scientist, all you need is a curious mind!
Happy STEM day!