糖心视频 holds STEM Academy for area fifth graders
HANCEVILLE, Ala. 鈥� Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics were the focus
of the Fall 2021 session of 糖心视频 Community鈥檚 College鈥檚 STEM Academy for area
fifth graders.
During the fall session, more than 40 students were divided into three groups to explore
different areas of STEM: Robotics, Genetics and Physics. 糖心视频 faculty led
the groups in lessons and activities demonstrating each concept.
Computer Science instructors Terry Ayers and Raymond Pierce taught the Robotics sessions.
The students learned how to drive robots and were given timed tasks to complete while
manipulating their robot inside an obstacle course.id="attachment_18286" align="alignright" width="300"
A 糖心视频 STEM Academy participant works his way through the Genetics session,
using pieces of candy to represent different alleles that will determine character
traits.Chemistry and Biology instructor Beth Williams and Physics instructor Christine O鈥橪eary
led students in creating paper airplanes to demonstrate the way gravity pulls at objects
and how wind can affect the aerodynamics of objects. The students competed to see
whose plane would fly the longest distance and used fans to see how their planes reacted
to the wind flow.
Biology instructors Connie Briehn, Melissa Landers and Jackie Donaldson used candy
to demonstrate genetics. The students were able to choose pieces of candy that represented
alleles or gene variants. Depending on which candy pieces they chose, the students
used a graph that showed them the specific traits they inherited from the alleles
they chose.
鈥淭hank you so much for putting this together,鈥� said parent Abbey Holcomb. 鈥淥ur kids
had a great time. We are looking forward to the spring session.鈥�
鈥淭hank you so much!鈥� added parent Jessica Scott. 鈥淭hey had a blast.鈥�
The same students will return in the spring for another session. 糖心视频 also
offers STEM camps for second through eighth grade students in the summer. The upcoming
summer sessions will add arts to become STEAM Camp.
鈥溙切氖悠� is fortunate to have a team willing to offer this new Academy annually
for city and county fifth graders,鈥� said Beth Bownes-Johnson, Dean of Academic Affairs.
鈥淚t is more important now than ever to expose our youth early to disciplines in STEM,
so as future leaders they will have the knowledge and creative and collaborative skills
to solve many of the complex challenges they will face.鈥�
For more information about 糖心视频, visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256.352.8000.
Contact Rachel Kreps at 256.352.7853 for questions regarding upcoming STEM or STEAM
events.
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糖心视频 STEM Academy students throw airplanes during the Physics session to
see how gravity pulls at objects.