STEAM Expeditions 1 is a course designed to allow students to use learned content to generate processes, select tools, and hone skills to solve a problem of practice. Utilizing a project-based learning approach, students will create and articulate solutions to problems of practice that require a transdisciplinary approach.
In STEAM Expeditions 1, students will enhance content knowledge (learned in other courses) while fostering communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and self-directed learning skills. In this course, all of our teachers will utilize the process of Project-Based Learning, PBL, to create a STEAM culture for everyone in the building and to build our collective pedagogical skills in inquiry, problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation, etc. As a community of educators, utilizing PBL, Design Systems Thinking along with the Engineering Design Process, Scientific Method, and Mathematical Practices to solve real-world problems, so that we can collectively contribute to students’ learning by facilitating our content-driven courses knowledge pathways to additional knowledge should students need that as they solve the problem without giving them the answer.
This course is the first in our series created for PGCPS STEAM middle schools. It is part of a 3-year rollout plan of STEAM courses at the middle school level. STEAM Expeditions 1, STEAM Expeditions 2, and STEAM Expeditions 3 are designed to provide an opportunity for students to integrate knowledge and problem-solving skills as they create a product and/or answer a question.
As the students matriculate through the STEAM Expeditions Series (1, 2, and 3), they will take on more responsibility for their learning in the process perfected in problem-based learning.
