STEAM Curriculum
Early Childhood STEAM
The Early Childhood STEAM program is designed to spark curiosity, foster creativity, and lay the foundation for solving real-world problems by providing hands-on, inquiry-based projects. Students engage in themed problem-solving activities each month, tackling projects such as building a shelf for an elf, creating a movable school bus, or constructing a basketball hoop model. They use age-appropriate materials like craft sticks, pipe cleaners, straws, and tape to bring their ideas to life.
Lower School STEAM
STEAM is a problem-based course where students use mathematical understanding, science concepts and engineering practices to develop real world solutions. Technology is integrated into the development, planning and communication of ideas and results, while using aspects of art in the design process.
Each grade level will complete at least four projects throughout the year. For example, 1st graders will design their dream playground, 2nd graders will construct a weatherproof shelter, 3rd graders will build a model magnetic train system, 4th graders will design a rollercoaster, and 5th graders will create a prosthetic leg. Additionally, 4th and 5th graders eagerly anticipate the annual Payload Pioneer Project, where they design a safe landing craft for an egg and test it by dropping it from the roof of Clariden.
Middle School STEAM
Middle School students have a daily STEAM class where they engage in research, documentation, design, prototyping, testing, and data analysis. STEAM is the acronym Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math — which goes beyond STEM to emphasize the design skills needed for real-world product development, packaging, marketing and more.
Grades 6-8 work collaboratively in project teams. This gives our students mentoring opportunities and ensures that teams have a comprehensive set of skills. STEAM projects culminate in either a Presentation of Learning, where teams present their research and findings, or in a competition, in which their engineering notebooks and builds are judged in Regional, State and National/International competitions.
STEAM and Robotics Competitions
VEX IQ Robotics Competition
VEX Robotics’ VEX IQ Squared Away Competition is designed to challenge students to build, program and compete with their robot to complete a number of challenges. “Two robots compete as an alliance in 60-second long teamwork challenge matches, working collaboratively to score points. Teams also compete in two additional challenges: The Driving Skills challenge, where one robot scores as many points as possible under driver control; and the Programming Skills Challenge where one robot scores as many points as possible autonomously, without any driver inputs.” Learn more about the challenge here
CLARIDEN’S RESULTS:
2019-2020 VEX IQ Excellence Award & State Finalist – Middle School Team
2018-2019 Clariden’s Middle School All-Girls Team Ranked 4th Place at VEX Robotics Competition.
US Super STEM Competition (USSC)
The USSSC “is an educational non-profit organization running a yearly event to challenge the creative mind of all middle school, high school and college students.” The competition is open to both US and International students. There are multiple divisions in which teams can compete. Each year, Clariden selects one of the divisions and then students work to build their entry as part of their STEAM PBL. The project is graded as part of the STEAM class and entry in the competition follows.
For 2019, Clariden’s middle school team was awarded 1st place at the United States Super STEM Competition (USSSC). The team participated in the Clean Energy division where the goal was “to produce the fastest spinning wind turbine.” The middle school team won with a score of 12.44V, which beat the 2018 winner’s score.
CLARIDEN’S RESULTS:
2019 National 1st Place Winner: Clean Energy Division – Super Wind Turbine
2018 National 1st Place Winner: Biomimicry Division – Super Umbrella
2017 National 1st Place Winner: Architecture Division – Tiny Houses
The American Rocketry Challenge
v\The America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is an annual national competition. Clariden students work to build a rocket from scratch and have it complete a number of challenges laid out by the competition.
CLARIDEN’S RESULTS:
2022 National Finalists
2021 Regional Finalists
2017 National Finalists
2015 National Finalists – Earned 3rd Place Nationally in the Presentation Award
Verizon Innovative App Challenge
The Verizon Innovative App Challenge is a nationwide contest that challenges middle and high school students to come up with a mobile app idea that would help solve a problem within their community. Over 1,200 app ideas were submitted nationwide.
CLARIDEN’S RESULTS:
Clariden’s team was named the 2015-2016 Best in State winner in the high school division.
Because they were named Best in State winners, each student was awarded a mobile tablet along with a $5,000 grant for their school, making them eligible to compete in the Fan Favorite People’s Choice Challenge. Read more
STEAM Educators
Chaka, Christi
STEAM Educator
Christi is a seasoned educator with over 13 years of experience in the field of education. Passionate about nurturing young minds and fostering innovation, Christi has served as the Elementary School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) teacher, guiding students to explore the realms of creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. In addition to STEAM education, Christi has also imparted knowledge in Computer Science and Business Information Management.
Christi holds a master's degree in early childhood education, leveraging their expertise in child development and effective teaching strategies tailored to young learners. As a National Certified STEM Educator, Christi demonstrates exemplary commitment to excellence in STEM education.
Westerfield, Rissa
STEAM Educator
Rissa Westerfield has been a Clariden educator for 8 years. She brings a love of science to students, especially dinosaurs and crocodiles! She received her Master of Science degree from Texas Tech University and is also a member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Her educational background and experience have given her the opportunity to partner with Crocodile Encounter to bring either a crocodile or alligator into the classroom each year. In addition to being an educator, Rissa has contributed to research in paleontology in museums such as the Perot Museum (formerly the Dallas Museum of Natural History), Dallas Historical Society, Shuler Museum of Paleontology (SMU), and the Smithsonian Institute. In her free time she loves spending time with her family, playing games, sewing, and traveling.
Simmons, Marcus
STEAM Educator
Marcus holds a BA in Physics Education from Western Governors University and has completed engineering coursework at The University of Texas at Arlington. He has been teaching at Clariden since 2017, instructing both Middle and Upper School students in physics, math, engineering, robotics, and manufacturing. Marcus brings a diverse professional background in automation, manufacturing, and engineering design, with experience across industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, agriculture, and amusement parks. Additionally, he serves as the Technical Director of the Drama Club and the assistant basketball coach.