What is STEAM?

When we started brainstorming the Woodlawn STEAM plan last year, we used the 'three dimensions' of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as a guide.  We saw STEM and the current educational method as covering the 'Practices' and 'Core Ideas' of the NGSS.  What was missing was the 'Crosscutting Concepts'.  Overall, it is the blending of science with the 'TEM' of STEM as well as allowing more right brain activity (arts).  The Crosscutting Concepts include: 

• Patterns
• Similarity and diversity
• Cause and effect
• Scale, proportion, and quantity
• Systems and system models
• Energy and matter
• Structure and function
• Stability and change

These concepts are related to the arts.  Our concept of STEAM involves adding design, innovation, creativity, hands-on experiences, problem solving, and collaboration to our science units.  As we become more comfortable with these cross-cutting concepts we can better connect art, dance, gym classes with the curriculum in the classroom, using the same vocabulary to reinforce the 'Core Ideas' but allowing the students to practice their design thinking skills in a more kinesthetic way.