Jenny Eckman, Katie Leseman and Holly Fjerstad

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “E-STEM First,” focuses on using the natural world as a context to make Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs an integrated component of first grade at Parkview Center School. Students involved in the project will not just passively watch, but also participate in citizen science by monitoring milkweed on the school’s grounds, tracking observations of adult eggs and larvae and report on their findings through the “Journey North” web based program. In addition to the hands-on components, classroom libraries and literacy practice will be enhanced for the students as they become active communicators and collaborators.