STREAM Instruction
Through the fusion of Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art and Math, STREAM education prepares students for 21st century challenges. Our students will experience job opportunities that do not currently exist. With STREAM instruction, students identify problems and apply knowledge from multiple content areas to present solutions. STREAM goes beyond STEM and STEAM programs by blending Religion and Catholic Identity within the problem solving process. As a result, our students develop skill sets that lead them to be strong in their faith and successful in secular endeavors.
Science
What is Science’s role in STREAM?
Science encourages students to use their curiosity to seek answers. With our STREAM approach, students develop a faith-based, logical, global approach to problem solving. STREAM moves beyond problem-based challenges to real-world applications.
Students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade explore stewardship and science by using the school garden as an outdoor extension of the indoor classroom. “Why” meets “how” and “when” as students find answers to questions such as: What should be planted? When is the best time to prep the raised beds, fertilize, sow/plant, maintain, harvest, or clean the beds? This is a year-round process and provides service opportunities during the summer.
Technology provides students with tools to help with their design, creation, and testing phases. There is a class set of iPads that can be used in the classroom and outside in the garden. Each student from first through eighth grade has access to a science E-book. Vernier probe-ware and data collection devices further help middle school students during explorations.
Religion is an integral component of the science curriculum. After all, the Vatican has an observatory and science group! To explore astronomy, middle school students have access to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics YouthAstroNet program. Students will be using these resources for astrophotography. We are looking forward to sharing our results!
Engineering skills are further developed during science class. There is an in-class Maker Space to provide students with idea starters and hands-on materials to build prototypes and models.
Art and Mathematics are core parts of science. Students use art as part of the engineering and design process. Mathematics is used with measurement, patterns, data analysis, and special reasoning. Students apply these throughout the problem solving and design processes. The class set of iPads are used in the middle school to blend math and science with apps such as Physics Playground and NASA’s Sector 33CE.
Science definitely flows through STREAM with problem identification, discovery, design, building, testing, solving, and sharing!
Science encourages students to use their curiosity to seek answers. With our STREAM approach, students develop a faith-based, logical, global approach to problem solving. STREAM moves beyond problem-based challenges to real-world applications.
Students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade explore stewardship and science by using the school garden as an outdoor extension of the indoor classroom. “Why” meets “how” and “when” as students find answers to questions such as: What should be planted? When is the best time to prep the raised beds, fertilize, sow/plant, maintain, harvest, or clean the beds? This is a year-round process and provides service opportunities during the summer.
Technology provides students with tools to help with their design, creation, and testing phases. There is a class set of iPads that can be used in the classroom and outside in the garden. Each student from first through eighth grade has access to a science E-book. Vernier probe-ware and data collection devices further help middle school students during explorations.
Religion is an integral component of the science curriculum. After all, the Vatican has an observatory and science group! To explore astronomy, middle school students have access to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics YouthAstroNet program. Students will be using these resources for astrophotography. We are looking forward to sharing our results!
Engineering skills are further developed during science class. There is an in-class Maker Space to provide students with idea starters and hands-on materials to build prototypes and models.
Art and Mathematics are core parts of science. Students use art as part of the engineering and design process. Mathematics is used with measurement, patterns, data analysis, and special reasoning. Students apply these throughout the problem solving and design processes. The class set of iPads are used in the middle school to blend math and science with apps such as Physics Playground and NASA’s Sector 33CE.
Science definitely flows through STREAM with problem identification, discovery, design, building, testing, solving, and sharing!
Technology
Technology is integrated into each classroom at St. Joseph and supports a strong academic program. Interactive TruTouch Flat Panels are used by teachers for instruction in most classrooms. Each classroom has a bank of desk top computers which are used daily by students. Rolling laptop and iPad carts containing classroom sets of the technology are available for class projects and research.
Our Technology Lab itself is unique in its design! It contains short tables with soft seating for work on laptops and tall tables for work in Robotics and laptops, as well as, regular sized tables for traditional classroom instruction using computers. Separate carts keep our robots and laptops charged and organized. A 3D printer (with cart) is ready to assist with learning. There are multiple glass dry erase boards for students to use on collaborative projects. Students have the capability to connect their device to a Smart projector and share information with others.
Our Kindergarten - 8th grade students visit the Tech Lab weekly. Our students learn how to operate a web browser and login to the computer and websites (examples include: IXL, Typing.com, Microsoft Office, Code.org) that they use regularly in various classes. They navigate a St. Joseph Student Technology Resource page that allows the students to enhance skills including keyboarding and mouse/trackpad control.
Through the school year, each student will use a variety of robots (Sphero Bolt, Ozobot Bit, Wonder Workshop Dash and Dot) - each with a different educational purpose. Our students learn to input codes by using a computer, a tablet or markers to program the robots.
We even have a 3D printer that students utilize for certain projects throughout the year. KidSpark Education mobile STEM sets, ROK Blocks and Engineering Pathways are utilized for engineering and simple machines lessons. Straw builders are available to assist with 3D models or to creatively express students’ ideas.
SJCS students are on the cutting edge of technology every day – whether it be in the Tech Lab or another classroom. All grades are comfortable utilizing this technology while continuing to gain skills and expertise. These skills crossover and are practiced both inside and outside the classroom which we know is so important in today’s world!
Our Technology Lab itself is unique in its design! It contains short tables with soft seating for work on laptops and tall tables for work in Robotics and laptops, as well as, regular sized tables for traditional classroom instruction using computers. Separate carts keep our robots and laptops charged and organized. A 3D printer (with cart) is ready to assist with learning. There are multiple glass dry erase boards for students to use on collaborative projects. Students have the capability to connect their device to a Smart projector and share information with others.
Our Kindergarten - 8th grade students visit the Tech Lab weekly. Our students learn how to operate a web browser and login to the computer and websites (examples include: IXL, Typing.com, Microsoft Office, Code.org) that they use regularly in various classes. They navigate a St. Joseph Student Technology Resource page that allows the students to enhance skills including keyboarding and mouse/trackpad control.
Through the school year, each student will use a variety of robots (Sphero Bolt, Ozobot Bit, Wonder Workshop Dash and Dot) - each with a different educational purpose. Our students learn to input codes by using a computer, a tablet or markers to program the robots.
We even have a 3D printer that students utilize for certain projects throughout the year. KidSpark Education mobile STEM sets, ROK Blocks and Engineering Pathways are utilized for engineering and simple machines lessons. Straw builders are available to assist with 3D models or to creatively express students’ ideas.
SJCS students are on the cutting edge of technology every day – whether it be in the Tech Lab or another classroom. All grades are comfortable utilizing this technology while continuing to gain skills and expertise. These skills crossover and are practiced both inside and outside the classroom which we know is so important in today’s world!
Religion
Faith is the foundation of all that we do at St. Joseph Catholic School.
We seek to integrate Catholic identity into all of our curriculum all year long.
For example:
Our Kindergarten children: design Noah's Ark and build ladders to Heaven.
Our 1st grade children: design a poster to tell about themselves and how they are important to God.
Our 2nd grade children: create a chalice out of clay to celebrate their First Communion.
Our 3rd grade children: create a PowerPoint about their heritage - we are all special and equal in God's eyes.
Our 4th grade children: dress as their favorite saint and bless us with a saint parade.
Our 5th grade children: calculate the number of years ago that events in the Bible took place.
Our 6th grade children: build a scale model of our Cathedral.
Our 7th grade children: create Beatitude acrostic poems.
Our 8th grade children: create tryptichs in art, PowerPoint want ads and reports all about their confirmation saint.
We seek to integrate Catholic identity into all of our curriculum all year long.
For example:
Our Kindergarten children: design Noah's Ark and build ladders to Heaven.
Our 1st grade children: design a poster to tell about themselves and how they are important to God.
Our 2nd grade children: create a chalice out of clay to celebrate their First Communion.
Our 3rd grade children: create a PowerPoint about their heritage - we are all special and equal in God's eyes.
Our 4th grade children: dress as their favorite saint and bless us with a saint parade.
Our 5th grade children: calculate the number of years ago that events in the Bible took place.
Our 6th grade children: build a scale model of our Cathedral.
Our 7th grade children: create Beatitude acrostic poems.
Our 8th grade children: create tryptichs in art, PowerPoint want ads and reports all about their confirmation saint.
Engineering
Engineering in elementary and middle school is all about applying knowledge to real life situations; allowing students to 'connect the dots.'
Our students are tasked with hands on design challenges throughout the school year, giving them the opportunity to use critical thinking and problem solving skills!
Our students are tasked with hands on design challenges throughout the school year, giving them the opportunity to use critical thinking and problem solving skills!
Art
Our art students participate STREAM lessons throughout the year in Art class ... technology, religion, math, writing, history and lots of engineering!
This year we have purchased a 2D animation software - our students can create 2D characters and animate them!
Pottery and Clay:
Kinder, 1st and 3rd through 5th grade students hand build something out of clay that is fired in the kiln.
We have 5 pottery wheels in our SJSC amazing art room!!!
Each year, our 2nd graders make their First Holy Communion Chalices on the pottery wheel. Through middle school, our students create a different (and more complicated item from year to year) item on the pottery wheel.
This year we have purchased a 2D animation software - our students can create 2D characters and animate them!
Pottery and Clay:
Kinder, 1st and 3rd through 5th grade students hand build something out of clay that is fired in the kiln.
We have 5 pottery wheels in our SJSC amazing art room!!!
Each year, our 2nd graders make their First Holy Communion Chalices on the pottery wheel. Through middle school, our students create a different (and more complicated item from year to year) item on the pottery wheel.
Math
Math is the foundation of traditional STEM education. In our case, at St. Joseph, math plays a vital role in STREAM instruction.
Math is all about problem solving, analytical thinking and logical reasoning.
In elementary and middle school, math lessons involve learning the basics of number theory, algebra, geometry and statistics. Math manipulatives play a vital role in math instruction in elementary. As students progress into middle school, instruction moves toward more abstract thinking which sharpens problem solving skills. Using these new problem solving skills and applying math to real world problems is the goal of math STREAM instruction.
Math is all about problem solving, analytical thinking and logical reasoning.
In elementary and middle school, math lessons involve learning the basics of number theory, algebra, geometry and statistics. Math manipulatives play a vital role in math instruction in elementary. As students progress into middle school, instruction moves toward more abstract thinking which sharpens problem solving skills. Using these new problem solving skills and applying math to real world problems is the goal of math STREAM instruction.