STEAM
We are creating a culture of “Students and Teachers Engaging Active Minds” by providing prekindergarten through 12th grade STEAM challenges that support student-centered critical thinking, creativity, innovation, problem solving, collaboration and communication.
The challenges culminate with the GISD STEAMposium, an interactive series of events being safely held virtually for 2020-21. Students will develop team-work and self-confidence while effectively staying engaged and learning with a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) focus.
STEAM framework
The STEAM educational framework is for all disciplines and types of learners with the goal of being more engaging and naturally successful. Students can participate in many different ways:
Engineering
EngineeringEngineering design challenges engage learners in hands-on, authentic challenges and aligns with state and national STEM standards.
VEX Robotics and Vex IQ
VEX Robotics and Vex IQSTEAMletes collaborate, construct and program innovative robots to respond to a new scenario every year using the VEX system. Teams compete with their robots to score points in competitive matches and skills challenges.
Maker Tank
Maker TankTo inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and innovators, Maker Tank, a “Shark Tank” style challenge, showcases students' ideas to address real-world problems. Students will use their entrepreneurial skills to pitch their products to a panel of judges through an interview process.
Note: These interviews will be held remotely for 2021.
Science
ScienceStudents conduct their own investigation to discover the “why” while developing skills to collect and evaluate evidence. District and regional science and engineering fairs as well as STEAMposium's science fair and forensics challenges provide opportunities for students to demonstrate skills and describe their findings.
Note: Due to safety concerns, we will not be participating in the regional science fair for the 2020-21 school year.
Coding
CodingCoding challenges inspire students to acquire skills necessary to unleash their potential to problem solve through code, words, pictures or numbers. Students can participate in individual and team STEAMposium challenges such as Sphero, Ozobots, and TI Navigators.
Arts
ArtsSTEAMletes express wonder and perspective of their world through their design of media in many forms including music, video, animation, and costume design to support STEAM connections.
Mathematics
MathematicsGame-based competitions in both digital and traditional formats encourage evaluation, analysis and problem solving to engage the whole family.
STEAMposium
STEAMposium is a year-long event that brings campus winners from across the district to participate in various science, technology, engineering, art and math challenges for the chance to be crowned campus champions. Students qualify for STEAMposium through their campus.
When it can be held face-to-face, STEAMposium is the area’s largest showcase of student engineers and inventors and features projects from all phases, enlightening seminars, guest speakers and good-hearted fun. The presentation of the STEAMLY Cup—a recreation of the famed Stanley Cup—ends the event each year, awarding the winning schools with a traveling trophy.
2020-21 challenges
Students will complete challenges at their campus. The top campus winners will go on to compete at the district level. These competitors will be interviewed to determine the top 3 projects and grand prize winners.
