Paper airplanes, tie-dye rockets, tiny houses, and circuit art were among the STEAM activities that Robert R. Lazar Middle School STEAM Club students organized for their peers. Working in teams, the grade 6 to 8 club members researched and prepped a range of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math projects for their fellow students to explore and enjoy during the in-school event.
Teachers Karin Wardell and Jerald Wayne, Lazar Steam Club Advisors, supported the student club members as they facilitated STEAM events for their grades 6 to 8 peers.
Kaleidoscopes, chlorophyll paint, catapults, thaumatropes, wind tunnels, wrecking balls, and toothpick towers rounded out the Friday, May 31, 2024, learning stations.
In total, eleven stations were manned by the STEAM Club members. The event was held inside the Lazar gymnasium and outside in the grassy area adjacent to the gym.
Scientific laws and theories such as lift, gravity and drag, were illustrated by the Lazar STEAM paper airplane event. Closed circuits and polarity were employed as the science behind the circuit art station. Additionally, chemical reactions, persistence of vision, photosensitivity, aerodynamics, structural integrity, levers, energy, tension and more were demonstrated across the many activities that comprised Lazar's celebration of STEAM.
One of the most popular activities for the day was the Tie-Dye Rockets station. There students combined dye, water, and Alka-Setlzer in a film canister. The canister was set on a canvas. Within a few seconds the cap popped off the canister due to the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas produced by the Alka-Seltzer when mixed with water. In the process, the water spewed from the canister and made a tie-dyed pattern on the canvas. Students were able to try the experiment using variables in colors, amount of water, and Alka-Seltzer.
The Lazar STEAM DAY topped off another year of STEAM emphasis across the Montville Township Public Schools [MTPS] district.
The district’s 2023-2024 STEAM activities were enhanced by a district-wide, $60,000 grant, donated in the fall, by the Montville Educational Foundation. The MEF grant helped to further extend the district’s commitment to STEAM education.
The MEF grant brought new STEAM technologies to all seven Montville Township Public Schools. Montville Township High School received a Pen Lathe, Scroll Saw, Dovetail Jig, 3-D Printer, Photo Enlarger, Kiln, Film Camera, and a Master Forensics Kit from Kemtac Science. Robert R. Lazar Middle School received Digital Drawing Tables, Color Accurate Display Monitors, ECA Science Kits, a Hovercam and an Epson Eco-Tank InkJet Printer.
Additionally, the donation of state-of-the-art audio/visual items to all five of the district’s elementary schools, has resulted in the expansion or formation of A/V clubs at the elementary level. Through the use of the A/V technology, students are expanding their knowledge of real-world STEAM applications.
The Lazar STEAM Day Event also featured a station with Montville Township High School Science Olympiad Representative Natalia Dudek. Dudek, an MTHS sophomore, achieved 2nd in Remote Sensing and 6th in Green Generation at the Science Olympiad. She spoke with Lazar students about competing in the New Jersey Institute of Technology Science Olympiad competitions at both the middle school and high school levels.
“Mrs. Wardell really helped me refine my STEAM passion,” Dudek said of Lazar Science teacher and STEAM Co-Advisor Karin Wardell. “Exploring STEAM is exciting and rewarding. I love to learn how things work, and I enjoy problem-solving through STEAM.”
The Lazar Parent organization also helped to make the 2024 STEAM DAY a success.