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Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 3: kombucha and ginger ale)

ginger ale with ginger bug - teach kids fermentation science article image

See related:

Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 1: bread, kimchi and sauerkraut)

Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 2: kefir, yogurt and cheese)

In our previous two posts on teaching kids about yeast and fermentation, we covered food projects like bread, kimchi, sauerkraut. We also delved into dairy fermentation with kefir, yogurt and cheese. In this post, we’ll learn how natural sodas are made by fermenting yeast, which is actually the same way that alcohols are made.

WARNING: parents and teachers please be aware that kombucha and ginger ale recipes can create alcohol content as part of their natural fermentation process. Please take caution when serving these products to kids! Also: the bottles used to create the soda products below could explode, especially if they’re not made for this type of carbonation process. If that happens, take safety precautions, and watch out for shards of glass near kids!

Note that you can buy beer grade bottles and capping equipment from brewing shops for this science project, which may be safer than flip-top bottles or jars. Always keep the bottles or jars you use for natural carbonation in a covered box to contain any possible explosions.

With that said, let’s start learning about yeasts, fermentation and soda-making!

Teach kids about microbial symbiosis with kombucha

The kombucha ‘train’ is taking off among health nuts looking for a new way to get probiotics into their system. You can buy it in the stores, or you can make it at home with scoby, caffeinated tea and sugar.

The science lesson here teaches symbiosis, since kombucha likes multiple types of bacteria. In fact, “scoby” is actually an acronym for “symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast.” Plus, once that ‘healthy’ bacteria gets into your gut, more ‘good’ symbiosis takes place! You can also show kids how temperature affects the growth rate of these microbes, by leaving some in the fridge, and others at room temperature.

Since scoby is so old, dating back to ancient times, and because of the new bacteria it can introduce on each duplication, this lesson also brings about the concept of DNA changes over time.

The scoby fungi duplicates itself on every fermentation you put it through, which can take a few days (though this depends on the temperature in the environment). You can start a scoby from scratch, or you can find one from a regular home kombucha brewer.

For kids, the interesting part of kombucha is when you put it through a ‘second fermentation’ process. This is when the drink gets fuzzy, producing a natural (optionally flavoured) soda. But it kind of tastes like vinegar, so it’s not like the kids will have their expectations met when you use the word ‘soda’ here.

There has been some controversy around kombucha due to its ability to create alcohol when it sits too long on store shelves. Be aware that this product is living – especially if you make it at home. There aren’t really stabilizers preventing the further growth and fermentation of the soda, so it will keep ‘going’ until it becomes alcohol.

Teach kids about yeast fermentation with homemade ginger ale

This is a surprisingly easy and inexpensive project. Homemade ginger ale can also be turned into ginger beer, depending on the balance of sugars and days of fermentation you give it. But whatever you turn it into, it can teach kids a little history on how old-fashioned sodas were made using yeast found on the skins of ginger. The starter for this type of yeast food product is called ‘ginger bug.’ The term “ginger beer” in this sense isn’t necessarily actual, ‘get drunk’ beer. However, we should note that the live ginger bug can eventually bring this liquid to beer-level alcohol content.

Here is a lesson for kids on making ginger beer:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/eppp-archive/100/205/301/ic/cdc/science/english/bio/projects/microbio.html

This lesson teaches a bit of history on ginger beer, as well as giving a recipe:

http://www.scienceinschool.org/2008/issue8/gingerbeer

You can also give a bit of a history lesson regarding ginger ale and how it came to be thought of a stomach soother. Others claim ginger to be anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting.

Here’s a fun ‘gross science’ lesson: in this process, you can also try ‘starving’ or ‘stressing’ the ginger bug by not giving it enough sugar in one of your control experiments. It will produce an awful rotten egg smell. Where is that smell coming from? Likely a sulphur-type gas. What is sulphur? How do you prevent it with ‘stabilization’? Bring on another science lesson!

Making ginger ale with yeast is quite similar to the concept of making kombucha. Here are simple recipes we found online to try:

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/papas-homemade-hooch-the-worlds-best-and-easiest-homemade-ginger-ale/

https://wellnessmama.com/8942/ginger-bug/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4wmWWen4vE

Please remember, this fermented food product can also produce alcohol, like kombucha. We just want to be extra sure we’re making that disclaimer very clear!

To conclude: teaching kids yeast and fermentation science could go on and on…

As you’ve seen by the many resources we’ve provided in this three-part series, yeast and fermentation can teach kids a lot about biology, chemistry and microbial science. And, you don’t even need expensive materials, or a microscope to see it happening! Not only that, the extent to which fermentation happens can go further than the projects we’ve pointed out.

For example, while alcohol is not necessarily a kid-friendly experiment, it can be brought up as a procedural lesson on fermentation. Pickling other foods is another route to go with your science class. And, understanding the microbes in our body, along with the yeast that lives in and on our bodies, can be another biology or health science lesson (such as the explanation of yeast infections, or dandruff).

Whatever route you take, we hope you enjoy making and tasting these historic fermented foods as a result!

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Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 2: kefir, yogurt and cheese)

bread and yogurt - teach kids dairy fermentation article featured image

This article is a follow up to part 1 in this series on teaching kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects. This science subject is a great way to introduce kids to food processing and preservation techniques used in history. And, as we’ve seen, it can also teach lots of other scientific subjects that introduce not just concepts, but science vocabulary.

See related:

Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 1: bread, kimchi and sauerkraut)

For part 2, we’re going to focus on teaching kids about dairy fermentation. Here goes!

Teach kids about dairy fermentation with homemade kefir

Kefir has begun showing up on grocery store shelves next to the yogurt products. It may seem intimidating if you don’t know what it is. It’s basically another type of fermented milk (or other base) product, but with a different, and higher set of probiotics. According to this article on kefir vs. yogurt, it’s not that you want to replace one with the other, but instead, use both for health (in case you were wondering).

Kefir, though, is an easier dairy fermentation science experiment to do with kids, since it multiplies really fast, and can change its multiplication rate based on its environment quite easily. You can make kefir within 24 hours. And, you can observe growth changes based on how much fat is in the milk you’re using. With temperature changes, you can also see how long-lasting kefir grains ‘hibernate’ – another science topic to bring up with kids.

Here is a recipe to try (with more on the subject):

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-milk-kefir-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202022

Kefir also brings up some lessons on health and remedies (and how they work on the human body), since it’s praised for its ‘miracle’ properties.

Try more dairy fermentation science with a yogurt recipe

Yogurt is also fermented milk, but is made differently. And, there are different types of yogurt, such as greek yogurt and balkan yogurt.

This science lesson for kids can teach how the careful balance of yeast cultures to their environment can affect the final food product output they’re making.

Here is an article that explains this more thoroughly:

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/yogurt/how-to-make-homemade-yogurt/

Scientific American has an article about the science concepts to teach with yogurt making here:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-yogurt-bacteria/

Also see this food science article, which explains whether yogurt is a solid or a liquid (hint: it’s actually a “colloid”). The article also brings up more scientific terminology to teach kids when making yogurt:

https://eatingrules.com/yogurt-science/

Want to go vegan? Here is a recipe for creating cultured coconut milk ‘yogurt’, which can teach kids that milk is not necessary for fermentation of this kind! So what do the bacteria thrive on? Discuss that with your class!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vQNnMep6XU

Teach kids the history and multi-faceted science of cheese making

This one might be a favourite among the kids in science class. On fermentation lessons, it may be the most diverse topic you’ll bring up with students. Cheesemaking is as old as time. Ok maybe not literally, but it is very old, just like most fermentation projects we’re introducing in this biology lesson.

This article on The Guardian also explains that cheese happened originally before pasteurization:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/jan/05/science-cheesemaking-cheese

So what is pasteurization? And why did humans introduce it to products on our grocery store shelves? That can be another avenue to teach kids about how this food biology works.

To add to all the science vocabulary we’re learning in this series, The Guardian article above also introduces words for kids to learn like “enzymes,” “coagulation,” “micelles” and “peptides.”

Also, the article points out the delicacy of the moulding process. Just the right pressure is needed, did you know that?

Then, this article on Wired.com explains a few more subjects surrounding the science of cheese:

https://www.wired.com/2014/03/everythingyoudidntknowyouwantedtoknow-about-the-science-of-cheese/

For example, where does cheese get its yellow/orange colour? And what is lactose intolerance in humans? How about the holes in cheese? Are those the same as the holes in bread we learned about earlier?

The article delves into the difference between cheese and yogurt, and why some cheese is made in certain places. It even explains how we started calling things “cheesy” – that can be a fun word history lesson to incorporate for the kids!

Finally, this website is totally dedicated to “decoding the science of cheese”:

http://www.cheesescience.org/

We’ll let you pursue that site for all sorts of teachable subjects on cheese fermentation and curdling science!

It’s not hard to see that cheese could be a semester-long learning subject, with avenues to teach several scientific topics.

There’s more to learn about fermentation and yeast science!

 

If you’re thinking you’ve got a year’s worth of biology lessons to teach kids, wait till you find out we’re not done! In part 3 of this series, we’re going to get into two more fermentation projects: kombucha and ginger ale. Both produce natural carbonation to teach kids about how sodas were made in the ‘olden days.’ Stay tuned!

Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 1: bread, kimchi and sauerkraut)

teach kids yeast science with bread article featured image

Science is fun when it’s applicable, and you can watch it happen before your eyes. One way to instil the idea that science is practical, is to teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects. Usually science chemistry lessons are taught in the kitchen with baking projects. But biology also happens in the kitchen with healthy foods like bread, kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, ginger ale and kombucha. And, you don’t need an oven for most of these science projects. So they can happen more easily in classrooms with a few materials (and maybe a kettle or portable heating element).

In this three-part series we’ll give you ideas to teach kids about living microbes, biological multiplication, fungi, single-celled organisms, osmosis, ph levels and other ‘sciencey’ things with the projects we’ll mention below.

This subject may also lead into a health lesson on how yeast affects our bodies – both negatively and positively.

Let’s get started!

Teach kids about yeast growth with bread leaven and anaerobic fermentation

The most obvious place to start teaching kids about yeast is with bread, of course. How does that delicious flaky dough become so poofy? Through the active, living fungus that makes it so! In fact, you can see, without a microscope, all those air balloons that appear in the dough as the yeast produce a carbon dioxide byproduct.

Here are some lessons to pursue on the web about teaching kids about yeast with recipes like sourdough:

http://www.kidsdiscover.com/teacherresources/science-of-yeast-for-kids/ (get a starter on the lesson of yeast producing rising bread)

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/lesson-plans-grades-3-5/13436-science-project-is-it-alive/ (make a hypothesis and conclusion based on yeast bread experiments).

http://redstaryeast.com/science-yeast/yeast-experiments/ (learn how temperature and other environmental factors affect fermentation).

https://zerowastechef.com/2015/10/08/kitchen-science-for-kids-sourdough-starter-lesson-plan/ (show kids the difference between flat breads and rising breads, and why they’re different. Also get a history lesson on sourdough bread).

And, don’t forget the balloon experiment to show how yeast makes bubbles after eating sugar:

https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/activity-yeast.html

Teach kids about ph levels and acidity using fermented sauerkraut and kimchi

In our search to find resources on this subject, we found that the pickling of cabbage recipes like sauerkraut and kimchi brings in a lot of science vocabulary to teach kids.

In the sauerkraut and kimchi processes, we’re still dealing with anaerobic (i.e. low-oxygen surviving) bacteria. However, this time, they’re first going through osmosis. They are also living in salted water (brine). This is called lacto-fermentation. Not only that, but pickling this way has the aim of ‘bad’ bacteria dying off, while ‘good’ bacteria survive. All this results in lactic acid production, which means an acidic environment.for the surviving lactobacillus. And that brings us to the lesson on pH levels, among other things you could teach here.

Here are lessons on the subject, along with recipes:

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/FoodSci_p051.shtml#summary (a full-on science fair project with tons of info on “kimchi chemistry”)

https://www.littlepassports.com/blog/science/fermentation-kimchi-recipe/ (with a good explanation of lacto-fermentation)

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151022-the-secret-behind-kimichis-sour-taste (an interesting breakdown of how the DNA and microbes change among kimchi)

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/lab-rat/the-science-of-sauerkraut-bacterial-fermentation-yum/ (gives some info on how sauerkraut can go bad, too)

http://bodyecology.com/articles/acidic-foods-and-acid-forming-foods-do-you-know-the-difference (a lot of science on how acidic foods can make your body alkaline)

http://olykraut.com/blog/the-stages-of-sauerkraut-fermentation/ (a description of the stages of fermentation when making sauerkraut, full of that science lingo, but not too much)

http://www.pickl-it.com/faq/148/process-microbial-lacto-fermentation/ (more on the stages of fermentation when pickling sauerkraut)

Here is a video on making sauerkraut (pickled cabbage):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueAVPxQVCac

And, from the same creators, here is a video on making ‘vegan kimchi’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HNTMFUiX-E

Here is a traditional kimchi recipe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTucCw1w6Ak

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series on teaching kids about dairy fermentation

We’re breaking this topic up into a 3 part series. In part 2, we’ll talk about teaching kids about dairy fermentation. Kids can make kefir, yogurt and cheese at home or in the classroom. But more importantly, they’ll learn how the yeast they’re ‘playing’ around with in these science projects can transform foods in different ways.

Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (6): tips and resources for fact checking

teach kids fact checking article image - girl taking notes

See other articles in this series:

In our previous articles on teaching kids how to start a newspaper, we covered a lot about the need to source information, do proper research, and identify fake news.

But in this article, we thought it useful to teach tips and resources for fact checking. Fact checking is something all journalists need to do. While working on fact checking their own articles (as opposed to just critiquing others’), kids can learn what effort goes into producing quality news stories. By learning how to fact check, kids can learn to spot high-standard journalism when they see it.

Aside from learning how to start a newspaper, this lesson is useful in other ways. Fact checking will be a part of writing research papers in virtually any other subject at school or university. Knowing great tips and resources to find information can help students in other classes.

These resources also relate to our article on teaching kids how to debate. We recommend checking out that article too.

Teaching kids tips on fact checking their news articles

Where do we find facts? How do we know that what someone tells us is true? In our article on learning to research and identify sources as journalists, we learned there are multiple ways to gather evidence for a news story. There is primary, secondary and tertiary research.

But let’s say you are interviewing someone for a news story at school, and they give you a ‘fact.’ How do you know it’s true? In our last articles, we mentioned having a curious mind, and consistently asking questions to cover both sides of a story.

Well, the questions need to come up with an answer. Based partly on this article by PolitiFact, here are some tips for teaching kids about verifying sources:

Find more than one source for your news article

Don’t rely on one person to tell you the whole truth. It’s true that journalists can be strapped for time and editorial space in newspapers. Sometimes that means there’s only room for one interview. But in the ideal journalistic world, that’s not the case.

In addition to getting opposing views on a topic, find more than one view of the same side. You’d be surprised what you can learn.

Ask your experts where they got their facts

This is important: asking ‘how do you know?’ Sometimes experts speak out of expertise. But their expertise had to come from some other primary or secondary source. Verify what they’re saying by trying to find that original data.

Teach kids to do an independent fact check with these Canadian fact-checking resources

This is where investigative journalism gets a little bit fun: finding information on your own. Teach kids to use Google’s advanced search functions, per PolitiFact’s advice. There is also Google’s search function to find scholarly articles. While that may be heavy reading for elementary-school kids, it’s good for older students to know about it.

But aside from Google, kids should learn to use their school or local library to find deeper information. It may be interesting to look through old archives of news or records. Perhaps the Who’s Who will help you find a notable expert without an online presence!

A librarian can also give a lesson to your class on how to use library resources to do research. Sometimes, this involves reading books to fact check – imagine that!

And of course, there are sites like FactCheck.org and Snopes.com. However, for a Canadian classroom, those may be a bit limiting. For Canadian sources, teach kids to fact check using:

Statistics Canada – a plethora of data on all things Canada can be found on this site. In fact, it can be a source for more journalistic story ideas! See if your classroom can come up with their own news stories as a separate assignment to fact-checking using this site.

Poynter.org – you’ll need to do some digging, but this is a site for International facts. Here is a search on their site for “Canada.”

FactsCan – the Canadian version of FactCheck.org, mostly focused on politics.

Encyclopedias – these come in many forms, such as The Canadian Encyclopedia, Dictionary of Canadian Biography (also available in French), Britannica Kids (may require a subscription), Historica Canada’s learning tools, and more. Sure Wikipedia is out there, and hotly contested as a reliable source, since anyone can update it. However, kids can learn to start with Wikipedia, and then dig further into cited sources to find more in their quest to fact check.

Research institutes – the sites of organizations that do research can often publish findings in press releases or posts on their sites. If they are listed on government resources, that can be a reliable way to know they are credible. For example, here is a list of research institutes on the website for the Canadian Polar Commission. If you do a Google search for “think tank Canada” you’ll also come up with sources like The Fraser Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Teach kids that fact checking doesn’t stop when you’ve found nothing!

Fact checking only stops when the truth is out! That can be hard, especially if the above sources are not helping your student source the type of news articles they’re writing at school. So it’s ok to help them out with ‘easier’ sources, or to go lenient on them.

As an idea for teaching kids how to decipher quality sources from faulty ones, try ‘planting’ a real story and a fake story at your school. See if the kids can work in groups to find out which school news story is true and which one isn’t. Perhaps they’ll have to chase down teachers in other classrooms for interviews, look for unnamed eyewitnesses, or go on a scavenger hunt in the library to find the truth!

But after they’ve written about a story in their neighbourhood, like we suggested in our first article in this series, see if they can pick up a story that would show up in the National Post or Globe and Mail.

While we’ve given you some resources and tips to teach kids how to fact check, there is always more. Kids need to learn to find their own reliable sources, using the methods of determining fake news from real news. Sometimes, the start of research is in the news itself. But that’s not all – understanding what makes a quality website as a source of information is also important. How do you know the Fraser Institute is real and reliable? There should be clear signs that kids can learn about when you teach this lesson. And a librarian can help, as mentioned above.

What is the Maker education movement, and how can it help your kids’ education?

maker education movement featured article image - parts of electronics on a desk

We’ve written about STEM education, and its evolution into STEAM as of late (that is, combining science, technology, engineering and math with the arts). These subjects lend themselves to a trending topic called the Maker education movement.

In this article, we’ll answer the question of what the Maker education movement is, and how it can help enhance your child’s education, especially in light of the STEM and STEAM curriculums being advocated for.

What is Maker education, and why does it matter?

Maker education is an offshoot of the popular Maker movement. You may have heard of the Make magazine, or a Maker Faire convention in your city. Other times, the movement can use the term “hacker.” Some can call it age-old DIY-ing, or a modern version of Arts and Crafts. Though, when you look into it, it is usually understood to be much more specific than that.

The concept of ‘making’ things in the Maker education movement can include anything from food to sewing and computers. In this context it is mostly concerned with the science, technology, engineering, math and arts (STEAM) subjects.

Adults and kids alike are learning how to do things like work with microprocessors and use 3D printers. They’re making robotic things, even if that’s wearable computers. Sometimes, these inventions have real-world applications, and sometimes, they’re just for learning how this type of hardware works.

Educators are seeing the maker movement as a way to make the STEAM subjects applicable to the real world and, honestly, to make them more interesting. There is the notion that learning mere theory is just not cutting it for some students.

As this article expounds on in great detail, “the Maker movement is transforming education.”

When you let a child tinker with electronics and get their hands ‘dirty’ (in the figurative sense, though sometimes literal), they can learn a lot better. “Tinkering” is a word used in the Maker movement’s vocabulary. And, it is encouraged as a way to make learning STEAM subjects applicable, and fun.

According to the Wikipedia article linked to above, the following statement also exquisitely describes the theory of Maker education being about the process of active, independent learning:

“In schools, maker education stresses the importance of learner-driven experience, interdisciplinary learning, peer-to-peer teaching, iteration, and the notion of “failing forward,” or the idea that mistake-based learning is crucial to the learning process and eventual success of a project.”

In other words, it’s not so much the end result of what may be produced, but the idea that kids can learn how to teach themselves.

How can Maker education help today’s generation of students?

Perhaps one of the best ways to exemplify the incredible learning that can happen from Maker education is by showing you this video of a young kid who loves ‘hacking’ with his electronics:

https://youtu.be/e9lvW6ZY-Gs

You’ll notice that the boy, Quin, not only tinkers with the materials, he can fully explain them to a complete novice. He has a full grasp of how software and hardware relate to each other. And, he can teach it to his peers. Most adults don’t know this stuff (and don’t we know it!).

But, with kids living in a digital age, the application of these materials is ever present and meaningful to their world, and their future. Also, it’s just plain cool.

Another pro you can see in the video above, is collaboration and mentorship among the children themselves, as they are invited to what Quin calls a ‘hackerspace.’ Kids are bonding over their obsession with something related directly to the STEAM subjects.

Suddenly, what may have been mere learning, is turning into doing. By wanting to solve problems that matter to them, kids start to direct their own learning. This means they could outsmart the teacher by what they learn, and certainly most of their parents!

How can I introduce my child to the Maker education movement in Canada today?

Schools, libraries, community centers, and other non and for-profit spaces are popping up to allow for Makerspaces (also called ‘Hackerspaces,’ the term Quin used in the video above). These are basically rooms with equipment needed to get into the practice of the Maker movement.

While not all schools will have Makerspaces, parents can certainly find ways of getting their kids involved in the Maker education movement. This can happen by advocating for the inclusion of these rooms in your local community, or by popping by one of them.

We found some neat resources to help start your search (though this list is by no means comprehensive):

Maker Ed – a non-profit for helping organizations get resources to start a Maker education program locally.

The Makerbus – based in Ontario, this is a Makerspace on a bus that comes to you.

Steamlabs – an organization in Ontario with the aim of giving kids the opportunity to tinker in a Makerspace.

Makerspace for Education website – use this to help get resources to your local school, library or community centre for creating a space. Or, build one in your garage!

Make magazine – an official media source for all things, ‘Maker.’

Maker Faire – attend a convention where you can see and touch the Maker movement, and connect with its community.

Resources for Maker Education (at Edutopia) – a bunch of articles and videos to help educators learn about, and get started with Maker education.

Companies with workshops – as this article states, stores like your local Home Depot may hold workshops to learn how to make things. Though, the article does state that these have commercial interests in mind (i.e. getting you to buy their stuff).

We also found that googling to find a Makerspace can bring up a lot of results that would be more local to your Canadian city. So that would probably be the best way to find one, since so much of the Maker movement involves the physical world!

We hope you enjoy the start of something fun – and educational – with Making!

How STEAM learning is changing STEM subjects, and why it matters

stem to steam article image - jenga building blocks

In a past article we discussed ‘How the push for STEM education in Canada could change your child’s future.’ We talked about how modern curriculums are including science, technology, engineering and math as an interdisciplinary approach. We also discussed the way in which governments, businesses and organizations are investing in teaching and popularizing those subjects. STEM is becoming a framework for ensuring a viable workforce in Canada’s future.

However, a newer term has been popping up, called STEAM learning. The ‘A’ stands for “Art.” Art includes design, and it’s concepts. The newer acronym is changing the way we look at STEM subjects.

For one, it may get your kids more interested in pursuing STEM. And, it can change the approach to teaching these subjects by integrating the creative with the ‘modular.’

How STEAM learning affects STEM education and careers

In our last article on STEM education, we mentioned that STEM is invasive. It pervades our lives nowadays. It’s hard to meet someone who doesn’t own a piece of technology – be it a smartphone or a flip phone. Either way, even if your phone can’t tweet, it still needed people in STEM careers to make your life that much easier.

But STEM is not just about computers. It includes engineering and innovation in the things you don’t really notice or think about daily. Like the fuel efficiency of your car today compared to your parents’ time. Or the ability of your symmetrically-shaped glass windows to keep your heating bill down, compared to centuries ago. Or the systems that take your toilet waste and turn it into clean drinking water without you smelling or seeing it.

These all have the need for something that overlays STEM subjects: design thinking. Sometimes, this extends into a term called ‘whole-brain thinking,’ where business is added to science and creativity too. In short, the design component, while it may seem only creative, is not. The design is what decides how science is going to solve problems for humans in a way that they can adapt to it, or use it.

And so, the Rhode Island School of Design started a push to start changing the term STEM into STEAM. The idea is to combine art into the STEM subjects, because it’s still needed. The two fields are dependent on each other.

Their website, stemtosteam.org explains how art and science often converge. It gives the case study of a painter who discovered daguerreotypes – the precursor to photography. Photography, at the time, needed chemistry to develop film, an understanding of light to capture images, and more. Today, the way a camera is designed is reflective of how it needs science to work.

And we can see this in many areas, without a scholar needing to show us. The height of the Eiffel Tower is clearly related to its magnificent design, for instance. Buildings that grow plants on their walls or roofs are clearly a convergence of design and science working together. And so on.

Edutopia has a list of resources to help educators bridge STEM with art, and explain the need for both:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/STEAM-resources

How STEAM learning might encourage more students to pursue STEM

Since the need for STEM-educated students is rising, the ability to get kids interested in these fields is also proving to be a challenge. Around the web you’ll find articles and stats about diversity issues in STEM, and the reluctance of kids to want to pursue these subjects in post secondary schools. We covered some of that in our previous article on STEM, mentioned above.

However, when you add art and creativity into the mix, you suddenly have an avenue for getting kids interested in what STEM subjects can do. This is most prominently noted among the gender gap in STEM; girls are less likely than boys to pursue these hard skills.

This article on Lifehacker.com also explains how the application of STEM can get kids interested in studying it further. For example, music actually uses a lot of math. And cooking requires chemistry. And so on.

Google started an initiative called Made with Code to get girls interested in the field. You’ll notice that the way they attract girls to take on coding subjects is by things they may be interested in, that involve art: like fashion design.

Thanks to STEAM learning, students no longer have to pick distinct paths

With the realization that art and science can go together, and need each other, it makes the choice of picking a career much easier. In the past, students may have chosen a degree in the arts believing it could not be applied to traditional STEM projects. However, workplaces and educators are seeing that is not necessarily the case. In fact, the most freedom to be able to create can come from the STEM subjects, integrated as STEAM learning.