The Elementary Schools of Penn-Trafford School District conduct periodic STEAM projects called “Junk Box Wars.”
STEAM activities integrate science, technology, engineering, art, and math into a single lesson. The Junk Box Wars projects encourage students to use their scientific knowledge to create and design a device. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade work with a partner and are given a design challenge and a bag of “junk” to create a device that solves a specified task.
October’s Junkbox War was called ‘Pumpkin Putters.’ The students were tasked with building a putter to hit a ping pong ball into a bucket. Each group of students received a bag of ‘junk’ including index cards, paper, popsicle sticks, playdough, straws, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, tape, cups, and a spoon.
Winners were named from each grade level, and the students enjoyed the educational and interactive project.
Trafford Elementary third-graders Mila Bell and Benjamin Gable collaborate to build a putter
McCullough Elementary third-graders Mara Cass and Yuktha Gowda begin building their putter
Level Green Elementary 3rd-Graders Ethan Borst, Maverick Conley, and Kade Kubany
McCullough Elementary kindergarteners William Simmons and Weston Stefanik brainstorm with their supplies
Harrison Park third-graders Owen Frontz and Grant Spreyne team up to build a putter
Level Green third-graders Ryann Dulemba, Paisley Hitchen, and Clara Briscoe pause from building for a photo
Sunrise Elementary fifth-grader Zachary Tucek tests his group's putter
Harrison Park third-graders Lily McGuirk and Julianna Milanovich display their finished putter
Trafford first-graders Miliana Amos, Aoife Magill, and Noah Reichert
Sunrise kindergarteners Mia Riazzi, Aidan Preffer, and Noelle Blazinic won the challenge in their classroom