Marvelous Metals Matter!

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) (2014) sets forth that children learning science and engineering practices in the early years lays "the foundation for a progression of science learning in K-12 settings and throughout their entire lives." So, it is important to build upon children's natural curiosities and expose them to thinking like engineers early on and long before college. The Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) lesson plan presented in this article about matter was co-taught to a gifted and talented fifth-grade class by a university professor and an elementary classroom teacher. Collaboration among experts across fields resulted in the lesson design and incorporated science (metals and their properties), technology (using and understanding technology systems), engineering (the engineering design process), art (sculpture), and math (data and proportionality). The lesson resulted in students' greater understanding of matter (metals) through the roles of engineers and artists. The engineering aspect of this STEAM lessons lends itself well to fostering understanding of solid matter (such as metals) and its interactions.