As the children of Rob Voigt’s 5th grade classroom at Glencairn Elementary School took the stage Tuesday morning, some surveyed the visiting adults, checking whether or not they had dimples when they smiled.
Others talked about the plants they have set in soil and closely monitored throughout the semester to see if the stems of the plants are green or purple.
The students presented research brought about by the STEMGenetics curriculum, an MSU-grown project used in Voigt’s class. The children excitedly talked about their projects, compared results with the other classmates and answered questions that visitors, including U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., had about their work.
STEMGenetics is a hands-on teaching program developed by science education professor Michelle Williams and Angela Haydel DeBarger, a senior education research scientist at the Stanford Research Institute. The main goal for STEMGenetics was to create a program that could bring science education — primarily genetics — to K-12 students at an earlier age.
“Unlike traditional education that is oftentimes ‘bookish,’ this (program) has three components: interaction between students and teachers, activities that the kids can actually do and blended learning with online components,” Voigt said.
The students demonstrated the steps to their latest classroom projects, starting with planting and caring for seeds, then later evaluating their appearance.
Although genetics is not generally a topic taught to elementary school children, breaking down the subject for kids to understand will help them build a better base of knowledge for the future, Williams said.
She said the program could help them keep an open mind toward a related scientific career path, Williams said.
“We designed this STEMGenetics program to prepare and motivate young students to pursue a career in science and technology,” DeBarger said. “(It’s also designed) to give students an early advantage of learning and understanding fundamental skills of the life sciences.”
Agricultural, animal and plant sciences remain an important part of the Michigan economy, Stabenow said during her presentation to other visitors.
“The STEMGenetics project is a wonderful example of innovation, exciting students, involving students and really creating the basic information and knowledge that is a platform for us as we look at new opportunities for the future,” Stabenow said.
“We don’t have an economy unless we make things and grow things. And that’s what we do in Michigan.”
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