Pop-up STEAM PARK(ing) Lots
Posted on August 20th, 2018 by Mary Lord
A farm, community art show, dinner party, or classroom? The possibilities are endless when transforming a parking space into a roadside showcase for the design side of STEM this PARK(ing) Day, Friday, September 21.
Filed under: Class Activities, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features, Web Resources | Comments Off on Pop-up STEAM PARK(ing) Lots
Tags: ASLA, Class Activities, Design, installations, landscape architecture, PARKIing) Day, Public Policy, public space, Resources for Teachers, STEAM, traffic, urban infrastructure, urban planning, Web Resources
Students in grades 9 to 12 analyze real-world traffic data to evaluate the efficiency of a section of a public transit system and suggest design improvements. They then evaluate whether the changes make positive impacts on the system’s performance. Includes link to a California Academy of Sciences challenge on designing more energy-efficient, greener buses.
Bees are among North America’s most important agricultural asset, increasing yields in roughly three-quarters of our crops. But as researchers funded by the National Science Foundation are learning, plants need a diversity of pollinators – and everyday gardeners can help.
The Google Science Fair gets underway in September, offering students between 13 and 18 a chance to compete for scholarships, travel, and other prizes. Submissions are due December 2018, with winners announced the following April.
As a teacher, you’re supposed to have all the answers–but sometimes, you just don’t. LinkEngineering, the National Academy of Engineering’s professional learning portal for PreK-12 educators, has you covered with a network of engineering experts and seasoned STEM teachers who can provide inspiration, instructional tips, live video chats, resources, and advice. 
Middle school students design a robotic “bee” that would have the potential to pollinate crops in place of a native bee and then evaluate their model against real pollinators.
Students in grades 3 to 5 learn about the engineering design process by making a 2-dimensional model (graphic illustration) of an apparatus that will pollinate a field.
High school students design a permanent guest village within the Saguaro National Park in Arizona after studying the desert ecology. Their designs must provide a true desert experience for visitors while emphasizing sustainable design, protecting the natural environment, and conserving energy and resources.
Think it’s impossible to inspire more women and minorities to succeed in engineering? ASEE’s panel of professionals have proven otherwise, and shared ideas about how teachers can help keep their students interested in a STEM career – and learn that failure is part of the design process – at NSTA’s 2018 STEM Forum in Philadelphia.
