Out-of-this-World STEM Saturday

Sign up for Dec. 10 Holly Jolly STEM Saturday!

On October 29, the Corinth School District held its second successful STEM Saturday. Over 110 students attended the Out-of-this-World themed event with activities centering on space exploration and Halloween-inspired fun. This new series of Saturday camps helps students discover how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) connects to the world around us through fun, hands-on experiments and experiences.

During the October camp, PreK students learned about planets and created their own solar system.

Kindergarten students explored the human body, dissecting and learning about parts of the brain using a tasty Jell-O model. Students also learned about what makes up blood, created their own skeletal system, and learned how medicine works to help heal our bodies. “My favorite experiment was the blood and bone experiment,” said Dr. Craig Strickland, a Corinth High School science teacher. “The students got to build a skeleton with Q-tips. They seemed to really enjoy that. We also used candy, beans, and syrup to make a model of the blood.  It was super messy, but it was one of my favorite parts of the day.”

Our 1st grade students created two walking rainbows, recording observations of time and color placement. The first experiment mimicked the process of capillary action (how water climbs from roots to leaves in plants). The second experiment used Skittles, hot and cold water, vinegar, and other liquids to determine the rate of speed for dissolving and diffusion of colors.

The 2nd grade students created their own miniature pumpkin catapults, exploring concepts of force and levers as a simple machine. Students used the engineering processes of planning, designing, building, testing, evaluating, and redesigning to see who could launch a mini-pumpkin the furthest.

All students in preK-2nd grade read the book "How to Catch a Monster" and designed their own unique monster using recycled materials and craft supplies in a Makerspace.

Students in 3rd grade learned about circuits, designing and building a Halloween-themed house with working lights.

Our 4th-6th grade students created their own pumpkin density labs, exploring the density of various parts of a pumpkin using homemade density jars. Students also created and designed scaled 3D models of the solar system. 

All students in 3rd-6th grade used hammers and nails to create their own working Halloween-inspired lanterns out of recycled tin cans. 

One of the best parts about STEM Saturdays is the opportunity for students to work in teams to complete experiments or challenges. “Through hands-on learning, students are able to directly interact with what they are learning,” said Dr. Hannah Montgomery, STEM Saturday Program Coordinator. “Students work in groups, which helps them to learn how to find solutions and problem-solve diplomatically, delegate and divide tasks, organize and manage time, and develop communication and social skills. The teachers are creative in finding ways to make learning fun, which helps cultivate a growth mindset where students love challenges and truly enjoy trying new approaches towards solving a problem.”

Join us for our next STEM Saturday on Dec. 10 with a theme of Holly Jolly STEM Saturday. The activities will be designed around the holiday season and will include engineering and designing a gingerbread house, designing and printing 3D ornaments, and a Santa's workshop makerspace where students will design and build their own toys. 

The camps are open only to Corinth School District students in grades preK-6. Parents must pre-register their child at this link.