Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Units!
Every quarter, Good Shepherd teaching staff does a schoolwide unit on STEM. Activities are adapted for the children's ages, and all but the youngest infants participate in some way, though most of the emphasis is for older toddlers and preschoolers.
For May, 2018, the theme is Nature!
Life Science: Caterpillars
to Butterflies!
In spring, 2016, classrooms raised caterpillars, which turned to chrysalis and then butterflies. On Butterfly Freedom day, the children wore the wings that they had decorated!
Engineering: Three Little Pigs
In summer, 2016, classrooms did an engineering unit based on the Three Little Pigs. Children built houses out of straw, twigs and bricks. We also had visits from an architect and structural engineer!
Technology: Robotics
Students made numerous projects involving robots, including the Pre-K class that tried programming a "robot" to make a sandwich--which turned out to be a lot harder than they thought! Giving the robot the exact instructions took lots of thought. We also had a visit by a grade-school robotics team so our children could see what they could do in just a few years!
Polar Expedition
Our focus was on math so we built an igloo out of 336 1/2 recyled milk jugs. Large enough for our whole Zebra class to climb in!
We also study how much/the rate at which a (home-made) iceberg melted, depending on whether it was inside and outside as well as comparing our height to the height of various penguins!
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