Full STEAM Ahead
in the Children’s Room
The Library’s STEAM Teams make things,
and make things happen. Children bring
their own special skills and knowledge
to the class and staff builds from there,
making it less of a lesson, and more of a
mutual experiment. The loose structure
encourages children to invent and
collaborate – approaches that are central
to the Shaker Schools’ International
Baccalaureate curriculum.
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24 SHAKERONLINE.COM | FALL 2017
OPEN HOUSES
GRADES 5 –12
Thursday, Oct. 19, 5 – 7p.m.
INFANT CARE – GRADE 4
Saturday, Nov. 4, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
HB.edu/openhouse
Library staff strive to combine
as many aspects of STEAM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Art, and
Math) in each session. For example, the
simple act of mixing playdough involves
both chemistry and math by combining
a specific set of ingredients in precise
proportions. If children build with
playdough, that’s engineering. If they use
it to conduct electricity, that’s technology,
and if they create different colors, or sculpt
it into different forms, that’s art.
In addition to the new facts and skills
kids learn, the primary goal for each session
is to present scientific exploration as a
dynamic activity that doesn’t just take place
in school. Questioning and experimenting
are integral to everyday life. In STEAM
Teams, the infinite questions the world
poses are opportunities for children to have
fun, be brave, and come up with something
new. Learning is fun at the Library!
Visit the Library’s website to register
for STEAM Team programs for children in
grades 1-3 and for children in grades 4-6.
New in October:
Weekly Teen Study Workshops
Beginning October 2, students in grades
7-12 can come to the Teen Center
from 4:30 to 5:30 pm on Mondays for
a supervised Teen Study Workshop
Homework Hour where they can discuss,
collaborate, and study. Library staff will
be available to help and will also provide
some nourishing snacks.
Every Thursday, during Teen Study
Workshop Special Edition, students can
work on improving their research skills and
get help with specific projects like creative
writing, resume writing, and college essays.
This is an opportunity for teens to
gain skills, learn strategies, and polish
study techniques.
Teens Have Their Say
at the Library: Write Now!
and What Would YOU Do?
Staring at a blank page is daunting –
especially for teen would-be writers. Spark
your imaginations with a creative writing
prompt every other Tuesday beginning
October 10 in the Teen Center. The prompts
might be a word, a photograph, or even
an object that will ignite a jump-start
on writing. Drop by and you just might
surprise yourself and learn that you are,
indeed, a writer.
@ Shaker Library