Building blocks: Legos are just one tool schools use to teach science and technology

BY NOUR HABIB World Scene Writer
Monday, February 18, 2013
2/18/13 at 10:00 AM

Sixteen fifth-graders sat engrossed in Andrea Sagely's classroom Tuesday morning, watching her talk about gears. A few minutes later, the students partnered up to build their own, using special Lego kits.

As the students moved from one section of their instruction manuals to the next - the pages all featured big, colorful pictures to guide them - they learned how to make their gears move faster, as well as how to get two to move in the same direction. They worked together, backtracked when they made mistakes and cheered the speed with which some of the teams could build.

Rian Harrison, 11, said the lesson was important, "because what if your bike broke?" Although only in its second week, Rian said the class - a pilot program at Broken Arrow's Rhoades Elementary that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM - was one of her "top favorites."

"We don't get to do experiments in other classes," she said.

Her classmates seemed to share the sentiment, many of them expressing excitement when Sagely told them next week they'd have to design and build something on their own to solve a problem she would give them.

"It's like a mystery," said 11-year-old Calen Nixon.

And that's what Sagely says she likes about teaching STEM subjects - that her students have to learn to problem-solve and design their own solutions.

Sagely, who was a math and science curriculum coordinator before Broken Arrow Public Schools asked her to design the pilot program, said people around the country are coming to the realization that students are graduating from American schools without having had enough exposure to science-related fields.

With this realization has come a national push, from educators and others, to remedy the situation. In his State of the Union address last week, President Barack Obama said, "We'll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering and math - the skills today's employers are looking for to fill jobs right now and in the future."

Xan Black is the program coordinator for the Tulsa Alliance for Engineering, a group that formed in 2010 when area higher-education institutions decided that they needed to "grow and keep engineers in Tulsa," Black said.

The number of engineers the U.S. produces has declined, said Black, who worked as a petroleum engineer and a high school math, physics and pre-engineering teacher before her current position.

The group works with Tulsa-area kids in kindergarten through 12th grade to help cultivate their interest in STEM fields, and Black herself teaches a class at Union's Roy Clark Elementary.

Getting kids interested in science is not the problem, educators say.

"Kids are born to wonder about the world around them," Sagely said. But the trick is taking advantage of that curiosity while kids are young, so that the spark doesn't go out and they don't lose interest.

Educators say the real challenge is that most elementary school teachers do not have much time to devote to teaching science. Because testing emphasis has been on reading and math, those are the subjects that teachers have spent the most time on.

"Unfortunately, science comes in third," Sagely said.

Lisa Malone, an eighth- grade science teacher at Union, agrees that not many elementary school teachers can find the time to teach science.

"Sometimes, sixth grade is the first time (students) get regularly scheduled science," Malone said.

"And I know there are teachers in elementary who would love to teach it. Unfortunately, they've all got to work with tests."

A lack of adequate exposure to science-related subjects at a young age can leave kids feeling that they do not like science once they get to middle school, but engaging lessons can change that, Malone said.

"It's in the presentation," Malone said of capturing kids' attention.

"Kids want to have fun in class," she said. "They want to do something that interests them. If you can tie (the lesson) to their interests, they'll do it."

Malone, who has taught science for 18 years, tries to fit in as many experiments as she can into her classes. Recently, her students burned Cheetos using a calorimeter they made in class.

Malone's students also enjoy the do-it-yourself labs that she lets them do.

"They really seem to prefer to do that because it has to do with their own ideas," she said. "They own the process and they own the experiment."

Black agrees that tying science to kids' interests is the key.

"The intellect and the curiosity is there, but you have to continually stir it up," she said. "Take what they are interested in and show them how it is linked to science and math."

The Tulsa Alliance for Engineering designed a competition last fall based on the format of "The Hunger Games," the popular book and movie series.

"It was great fun," Black said.

She said showing students the practical use of their lessons is also helpful. When the George Kaiser Family Foundation sought public input on its park project, Black asked students to draw maps of the area with what they'd like to see on it, and write proposals to the foundation.

That lesson was more engaging than just calculating triangle angles, Black said.

"It's the same math, but it's a matter of seeing a purpose to the math," she said. "They see that it has a purpose other than making a good grade in (class)."

Black, Malone and Sagely say that parents can help spark their children's interest in science, as well.

Black suggests enrolling your kids in STEM summer camps or programs.

The Tulsa Air and Space Museum and the Tulsa Zoo are also great resources, Sagely said. Online resources like PBSkids.org also have ideas for at-home science projects.

"Just put your cellphone away and do a science experiment every once in a while," she said.

Malone said even using everyday situations to ask questions like, "What do you think causes that?" can help your child begin to think in scientific ways.

With the growing need for a workforce equipped with STEM skills, Malone said it is crucial to get kids interested in scientific fields.

"There is going to be a gap in this country if we don't start interesting kids in those fields," she said. "It's almost patriotic to be science-minded nowadays."

Science contest

What: The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2013

When: Entries accepted through April 23.

Who: Contest open to fifth- through eighth-grade students

Description: To help the next generation of great innovators, Discovery Education and 3M are looking for America's next "Top Young Scientist." Ten finalists will be chosen to work directly with a 3M scientist to create an innovation that solves a problem in everyday life. Those scientists will then present their entry at the 3M Innovation Center for the chance to win $25,000.

For more: tulsaworld.com/sciencechallenge

Robotics conference

What: Oklahoma Science and Engineering Foundation Robotics Conference

When: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 6

Where: NSU-Broken Arrow; 3100 E. New Orleans St., Broken Arrow

Description: A free event offering information, through demonstrations and exhibits, about robotics programs in Oklahoma for kids in elementary, middle and high school

For more: tulsaworl.d.com/oksef or 918-857-6268

Original Print Headline: Building blocks

Nour Habib 918-581-8369
nour.habib@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Science teacher Andrea Sagely (center) works with students David Nelson (left), 11, and Drake Bolay, 11, as they make gear systems using Lego building blocks during the fifth grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) class at Rhoades Elementary in Broken Arrow last week. MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World

Science teacher Andrea Sagely works with fifth-grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) class students as they tackle a project at Rhoades Elementary in Broken Arrow last week. MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World

Andrea Sagely's fifth grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) class uses Lego building blocks to make gear systems at Rhoades Elementary in Broken Arrow. MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World