STEAM and Social Studies
STEAM is a great project-based learning system. The letters in STEAM stand for S-Science, T-Technology, E-Engineering, A-Art, and M-Mathematics (Math).
1. STEAM does relate to the ancient past. It relates because Science was used a lot in ancient times, They had to use it to discover knew things and research plants and animals, so that they are known to us. Technology was used because they had certain forms of technology that they used, which over time grew and improved. All of the technology we have now started out as the simple and historical technological objects that they had. Engineering was certainly used in ancient times. The people who lived in the past constantly came up with and formed better and improved objects that we may use in our everyday lives. They used Art when they drew and painted amazing masterpieces that inspired us and teaches us about the past and their ways of life. And lastly, they used math in calculating things like calendars and the phases of the moon to make our lifes easier and for us to be able to learn and get an education.
1. STEAM does relate to the ancient past. It relates because Science was used a lot in ancient times, They had to use it to discover knew things and research plants and animals, so that they are known to us. Technology was used because they had certain forms of technology that they used, which over time grew and improved. All of the technology we have now started out as the simple and historical technological objects that they had. Engineering was certainly used in ancient times. The people who lived in the past constantly came up with and formed better and improved objects that we may use in our everyday lives. They used Art when they drew and painted amazing masterpieces that inspired us and teaches us about the past and their ways of life. And lastly, they used math in calculating things like calendars and the phases of the moon to make our lifes easier and for us to be able to learn and get an education.
2. STEAM relates to the present because we use Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math in our everyday lives. We use science when we are telling the weather and what the temperature will be. We use Technology a lot! When we are on our phones, our computers, watching tv, and even just driving to the grocery store. We currently use many different forms of technology, and all of those things have changed a lot even in the past decade. Technology is a big part of our lives and we have many different forms of it. Engineering is used whether we are at work, building a new house or at school, constructing a model of the earth out of clay and toothpicks, we are always using the engineering design process. The Engineering design process is Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create and Imporve, and it is commonly used when we are engineering something. Art is used when we are drawing or coloring. It is also used when we design objects like a poster or a model of something. Math is another part of STEAM that we use a lot. We use it when we are shopping, driving, calculating tax when we go out for a meal or even just eating, we use math a lot. For example, we use math when shopping because we have to calculate the cost and then adding the tax to the total cost. Also, if their is a percentage off of something, then you have to figure out how much to take off.
3. STEAM relates to the future because many things will change and be different in the future. Science will change because many scientists will probably discover new elements and plants in the future, which will change science a lot. Technology relates to the future because as we all know technology changes a lot, even in just one year an object like an iPod, for example can be updated a lot. It can go from a plain iPod w/ apps and music to a white iPod with music, apps, texting, and a camera/video camera. Then it can go from that iPod to a multi-colored iPod with 2 cameras with unlimited texting and calls with voice activation. Technology, as you just read, can definitely change a lot in the future. Also, cars are technology too. They can go from a plain driving car to a voice activated, screen sensored, electronic car. Engineering relates to the future because engineers are constantly coming up with great ideas that, once finished, can become a huge success and earn them lots of money. Engineers are also currently coming up with new cars and cell phones and cool stuff like that, which we will be presented with in the future. We will use art in the future when people come up with amazing paintings and sculptures that will become memorials and be displayed in art galleries. And mat will be used in the future when people come up with amazing and difficult equations and then there will probably be new forms of solving equations then too.
4. We have learned about many ancient places in Social Studies this year. Some of the topics that we have learned about so far are Ancient America, Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and Islam. But many things have changed since then. Every part of STEAM has improved and gotten better since then. One thing that we have learned from the Ancient Mayas (From Ancient America) is the calendar. They created the first calendar and it has changed since then. It ended last year, on December 21, 2012, but we have still continued to use their original calendar, even if it has ended, because it influenced us and inspired us to use a calendar so that we know what the days are and what month it is, etc. Without some off the brilliant and important objetcs that were made in the past and ancient times, our lives would not be the same as they are today.