Lake Marion Elementary STEM teacher Kim Menard begins each class with a three-part ritual with her students before they jump into circuit-building or constructing model houses. The process is more than just a scientific method to classroom engagement, it is a tone-setting primer to creativity and growth for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.
In her 10 years of teaching STEM at the school, Menard’s students have planned for the installation of solar panels on the school roof, planted trees and a pollinator garden and are currently collecting plastic bags to be remade into an outdoor bench. Menard said this is just the beginning.
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