Classroom Champions: STEM Lab teacher wants robotic zoo pets for hands on learning

ST. GEORGE, S.C. (WCSC) - William’s Memorial Elementary School STEM Lab teacher Penny Buckley says she’s busy at work writing the curriculum for the next school year’s science, technology, engineering, and math lab or STEM class.

She says every week her lab classes rotate between PreK to 5th grade and Special Education students.

Buckley says her students are always excited to learn and use the Engineering Design Process.

They also enjoy creating and building in the STEM lab.

For Buckley’s Donors Choose project she hopes to give her students hands on Robotics ZooMates to build with.

She says the items will give her Title 1 students a chance to learn coding and engineering and will also help them learn how to read an instruction manual.

“These are the basics for robotics they are chunky pieces for little hands. Once they follow the instruction manual they can make a penguin, money, or a rabbit that might be at the zoo,” Buckley said.

Buckley hopes to have her students work with a partner to create their moveable zoo robot and write their own manual.

“It’s important that they know reading, science, and math and know the coding part of it and engineering design. If they want to get a job out of school, they can get one at Boeing, or Volvo and one of the places in their country,” Buckley said.

Buckley says this project will strengthen her student’s problem-solving skills, understanding of non-fictional texts, and engineering abilities.

Right now, all donations made to this Donors Choose project are being doubled.

You can donate to get this project for this Saint George teacher entitled fulfilled and become a classroom champion by clicking here and donating.

All donations are tax deductible.

Donors Choose collects your money, then buys the items and sends them to the teacher.

This ensures that your donation is used for our area teachers.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.