On March 18th, science teachers from seven middle schools participated in a specialized professional development session to prepare for this spring’s rollout of the new unit. Educators stepped into their students’ shoes, experiencing the design-build challenge firsthand by integrating circuitry and solar power to create functional models. By troubleshooting these systems themselves, teachers are now better prepared to guide their students through the iterative thinking and data-informed design process required to build collaborative solar-powered STEAM sculptures.
This innovative curriculum doesn’t just teach science; it provides vital career-connected learning that helps students visualize their own ambitions in the trades and technical fields. We extend our deepest thanks to the PGE Foundation for their generous grant, which provided the essential funding for curriculum development and the supplies necessary to make this hands-on exploration possible for our students.
Also supporting the project was an in-kind donation of solar power kits assembled by volunteers from KLA TENCOR.
