STEM at Evoline C. West Elementary
The First South Fulton County State STEM Certified Elementary School
1st Grade PBL 1 2024-25
What product can we construct using light and sound that will be used to help our school and community?
Driving Question
Wall Display
Related STEM Careers
Checkout the videos below to learn more about these STEM careers.
1st Grade Partnerships
Thanks to all of our partners!
First-grade students explored sound with Hightech HighTouch through hands-on experiments demonstrating how vibrations create sound and how it travels through different materials. They engaged with activities involving tuning forks, sound waves, and pitch to deepen their understanding of sound in everyday life.
First-grade students enjoyed an in-house field trip on sound with the FCS Teaching Museum South, where they explored how vibrations create sound and how it travels through different materials. Through hands-on activities and demonstrations, they learned about pitch, volume, and the science behind everyday sounds.
First-grade students participated in a 10-week partnership with Wolftrap through the Alliance Theatre to explore light and sound creatively. Through interactive lessons combining arts and science, they learned how light and sound interact, using music, storytelling, and hands-on activities to deepen their understanding.
Interdisciplinary Connection
Students create a T-chart to categorize lights and sounds they might observe during a storm, using descriptive language and sensory details. This activity integrates science concepts of weather phenomena with ELA skills in observation, organization, and expressive writing.
Students will use shape manipulatives to design and construct a robot that incorporates representations of light and sound features, exploring geometry and spatial reasoning. This activity integrates math concepts of shapes and symmetry with science topics on technology and energy forms.
After reading a story about Belle Bright helping her community after a storm, students will write a list of people or groups who might need assistance, such as neighbors or emergency workers. This activity integrates literacy with science by encouraging students to consider the effects of severe weather on communities and the importance of preparedness and response.
Students designed emergency devices that use light and sound to signal danger and assist others, exploring concepts of geometry and spatial reasoning. By labeling parts like the light source, sound emitter, and power source, they connected math with science to demonstrate an understanding of energy, technology, and problem-solving.
Research and Building Background Knowledge
Students used a KWL chart to share what they know and want to know about light before reading a story that explored its properties and uses. After the story, they completed the "Learned" section of the chart, reflecting on new information and understanding about light.
Students are read a story and use textbook to research light.
Math Integration Samples
Students solve math problems with a science theme.
Students described the attributes of the shapes, then used shapes to create a robot that uses light and sound.
Community Impact
Community Impact Summary
Our 1st-grade STEM PBL project focused on answering the question, "What product can we construct using light and sound to help our school and community?" Through partnerships with HighTouch HighTech, FCS Teaching Museum South, and the Alliance Theater, students explored the properties of light and sound in engaging, hands-on ways. They learned how light can grab attention and how sound can communicate messages, applying their knowledge to design innovative products, such as signs for school events or tools to enhance community communication.
Students participated in activities that included experimenting with vibrations, exploring pitch and volume, and using storytelling to understand how light and sound connect to real-world applications. Pretest results should show significant growth.
Standards Addressed:
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Science Standards: Understanding how light and sound interact with objects (S1P1), including how vibrations create sound (S1P1b).
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Math Standards: Applying measurement and counting skills to design and build their products (MGSE1.MD.2), and solving simple word problems related to their prototypes (MGSE1.OA.2).
This project showcased the power of partnerships and STEM integration, fostering creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking while empowering students to create meaningful solutions that benefit their school and community.