STEM Curriculum
STEM Curriculum Overview
Our STEM curriculum emphasizes Project-Based Learning (PBL), where students engage with real-world challenges that require interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. This approach helps students understand the relevance of their studies and fosters a comprehensive understanding of complex global issues.
Each year, students work on three real-world problems aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence, tackling each challenge through student-driven PBL. These projects culminate in three school-wide STEM Days, where students present their findings and solutions.
Throughout the year, students maintain STEM journals, where they document and analyze data related to their grade-level problems. These journals support notetaking, data collection, and the application of the Engineering Design Model (EDM) as students develop and test their solutions.
On STEM Days, students work through various stages of the Engineering Design Model (EDM), from problem identification and brainstorming to prototype development and testing. Once confident in their solutions, students present their projects to authentic audience members, peers, parents, and teachers.
In addition to project work, teachers plan field trips and other hands-on experiences that connect to the real-world problems being explored. TAG (Talented and Gifted) teachers and Specials teachers (Media, Art, Music, and Physical Education) integrate STEM concepts into their lessons, reinforcing connections to the real-world challenges in creative ways.
Our school counselor and CTAE (Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education) teachers introduce students to STEM-related colleges and careers during their lessons, helping students connect their learning to future opportunities.
We also host an annual STEM Career Day, where community professionals share insights into their careers, the educational paths they followed, and the essential 21st-century skills required to succeed in today’s workforce.
To further support STEM learning, we offer a variety of afterschool enrichment clubs that give students additional opportunities to explore STEM topics outside of the classroom.
Through this comprehensive approach, we ensure that students not only develop core STEM knowledge but also gain practical experience and insights into how STEM fields impact their everyday lives and future careers.