Columbia STEM Investigations!

Columbia School District students experience STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) on a daily basis.  At Columbia Central High School Mrs. VanWagnen's Forensic Science class uses scientific techniques to build their analytical skills.  During one session they focused on the physics of blood stain and spatter analysis to learn how to solve a crime. They learned that the bloodstain pattern depends on both the force used to propel the blood and the type of surface the spatter lands upon.

Columbia Central High School teacher Mr. Dickens gave his Advanced Placement Biology class the opportunity to experience the fascinating world of DNA investigation. Upon arrival at Camp McGregor for their DNA experiment, they put on their safety goggles and lab coats and became acquainted with the high-tech equipment.  The real-world technique the students used was DNA fingerprinting, which is sometimes called DNA profiling.   The science is often used on television crime dramas and by police detectives to identify a perpetrator by their DNA.  

In the Upper Elementary students are taking advantage of the new science classroom to increase their proficiency in STEM areas.  Recently, Mrs. Adams used a hands-on lesson about force and motion.  The students learned how things moved using spinning tops.  They evaluated the force and motion by measuring distance, time, and speed.  In all of the elementary STEM classes, students collect data and reflect on their experiments and assessments in qualitative and quantitative terms. The curriculum also has students illustrate and graph their results.

At Columbia Central Junior High School, science teacher Mrs. Libeau has been teaching her students about electricity and energy. The investigation into energy uses research into the effects of light energy, solar energy, and water energy. The students use the hands on experiments and investigations, combined with reflection to gain an improved understanding of the world around them.

As the science in the world around us gets more and more complex, our students must get a firm foundation in STEM.  Columbia School District has a focus on giving our students a base of understanding in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  If you are interested in registering your child at Columbia, please email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.