On any given day at Lookout Mountain School (LMS), you may find students examining local bugs and plant life, coding digital animations, creating a model solar system, or hanging out with a friendly corn snake. All of this and more happens regularly in the school’s science lab, where kindergarteners through fifth-graders receive hands-on, grade-specific instruction as part of their related arts rotation.
Led by teacher Mary Avans, the LMS science program provides students with a strong foundational knowledge in science, technology, and engineering - paving the way for the development of skillsets that are critical for the jobs of the future. With added extracurricular opportunities and a brand-new Volkswagen eLab coming to the school next year, science at LMS is moving and shaking in today’s era of innovation.
Building Knowledge in Sciences and Engineering
Now in her seventh year of teaching science at LMS, Mrs. Avans is well versed in the multi-faceted state curriculum designed for Hamilton County elementary students. Through a series of quarterly modules based on the Tennessee Science Standards, each grade learns about earth, life, and physical sciences, as well as engineering and technology, with an opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiments and other hands-on activities in the science lab.
LMS students are especially interested in the learning modules focused on animals, their environments, and how they adapt to survive. “The kids just love it,” said Mrs. Avans, referring to the life sciences units and the opportunity to interact with the animals (and bugs!) that live in the lab. “Bubba” the corn snake is the oldest animal resident, having spent over 12 years at LMS. More recent additions include a fish, a bearded gecko, and a family of Dubia roaches, which the students find equally delightful and disgusting.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Avans is excited about the potential for a new science curriculum for Hamilton County school students. She is currently serving on the County’s vetting committee, which has been assessing three new options for an updated curriculum that accounts for recent advancements in science and technology.
“By serving on this committee, along with other Hamilton County Schools teachers, I am taking on the responsibility to find a new curriculum that is both high-quality and engaging for the students,” said Mrs. Avans.
LMS Selected for New Volkswagen eLab
Next year, LMS students will have even more opportunity to build their science and technology skillsets through a brand-new digital fabrication lab. Jointly funded by Volkswagen Group of America, the Public Education Foundation, and Hamilton County Schools, “VW eLabs” offer students hands-on experiences with emerging technologies, such as automated manufacturing and 3D printing, while strengthening their skills in problem solving, collaboration, and communication. The LMS eLab will join a network of 43 other VW eLabs currently in place in elementary and high schools across the county.
Mrs. Avans is already hard at work transforming the science lab to prepare for new digital fabrication tools and materials. Each eLab is designed according to the unique needs and culture of the school it serves, and LMS leadership and staff are collaborating to determine which technologies and projects will integrate well into existing curriculums and best support the students.
One thing is for sure - the skills gained in the eLab will ensure LMS students graduate prepared to thrive in advanced STEM-focused learning environments. “I’m so excited for our students to have this opportunity,” said Mrs. Avans. “They will start middle school knowing how to laser cut, how to 3D print and code computers … they will have the skills they need to succeed wherever they go next.”
Science Learning Continues After School
For those students with a special interest in science and technology, LMS offers three extracurricular opportunities to hone and strengthen STEM-based skills.
Every fall, Mrs. Avans selects a group of six to eight fourth- and fifth-graders to form the LMS Robotics Team. She and LMS teacher Gina Hughes coach the students to prepare for and compete in the FIRST® LEGO® League annual competition, during which they are challenged to build and program a LEGO robot that navigates a mission, while also engaging in research related to the annual event theme.
This year’s theme was oceans and seas, and the LMS robotics team chose an especially esoteric topic to research - whale poop.
“As an endangered species, whales are often hard to study, but you can tell a lot about a whale - what it’s eaten, if it’s pregnant - by its poop,” said Mrs. Avans. As part of their research presentation, the students proposed using aerial drones to scoop up and study whale poop - allowing them to gather important data without disturbing the undersea ecosystem. While they ultimately didn’t advance past the regional qualifying tournament this year, the team did win the Innovation Project Award for their creative, solution-focused research project.
In the spring, students have the opportunity to be considered for two other extracurricular science programs: Science Olympiad and the Garden Club. While the Garden Club was put on hold this year because of ongoing preparations for the new eLab, practice for the Science Olympiad competition is in full swing.
Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad is one of the most well-known grade-school STEM competitions in the nation, providing standards-based challenges to 6,300 teams at 425 tournaments in all 50 states. Each year, Mrs. Avans, with support from Joy Kaiser and Debbie Lifsey, selects five to six students from each upper grade (third through fifth) to compete. Students pair up to study and prepare for knowledge- and engineering-based challenges, from building a bridge that can bear a certain weight to learning dozens of constellations across the night sky. Last year, LMS students won an impressive total of 15 awards, and this year’s teams are already hard at work preparing for the upcoming competition on May 12.
From the students and parents to teachers and staff, the entire school community is grateful for the flourishing science program at LMS. “The LMS Science Lab is a unique space in Hamilton County Schools. Our students have excelled in science and their continuing education because of the opportunity to dig deep into the learning,” said Mrs. Avans. “I am thankful for the ongoing support of the community and look forward to leading the eLab next year.”
by Kirsten Yates
Led by teacher Mary Avans, the LMS science program provides students with a strong foundational knowledge in science, technology, and engineering - paving the way for the development of skillsets that are critical for the jobs of the future. With added extracurricular opportunities and a brand-new Volkswagen eLab coming to the school next year, science at LMS is moving and shaking in today’s era of innovation.
Building Knowledge in Sciences and Engineering
Now in her seventh year of teaching science at LMS, Mrs. Avans is well versed in the multi-faceted state curriculum designed for Hamilton County elementary students. Through a series of quarterly modules based on the Tennessee Science Standards, each grade learns about earth, life, and physical sciences, as well as engineering and technology, with an opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiments and other hands-on activities in the science lab.
LMS students are especially interested in the learning modules focused on animals, their environments, and how they adapt to survive. “The kids just love it,” said Mrs. Avans, referring to the life sciences units and the opportunity to interact with the animals (and bugs!) that live in the lab. “Bubba” the corn snake is the oldest animal resident, having spent over 12 years at LMS. More recent additions include a fish, a bearded gecko, and a family of Dubia roaches, which the students find equally delightful and disgusting.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Avans is excited about the potential for a new science curriculum for Hamilton County school students. She is currently serving on the County’s vetting committee, which has been assessing three new options for an updated curriculum that accounts for recent advancements in science and technology.
“By serving on this committee, along with other Hamilton County Schools teachers, I am taking on the responsibility to find a new curriculum that is both high-quality and engaging for the students,” said Mrs. Avans.
LMS Selected for New Volkswagen eLab
Next year, LMS students will have even more opportunity to build their science and technology skillsets through a brand-new digital fabrication lab. Jointly funded by Volkswagen Group of America, the Public Education Foundation, and Hamilton County Schools, “VW eLabs” offer students hands-on experiences with emerging technologies, such as automated manufacturing and 3D printing, while strengthening their skills in problem solving, collaboration, and communication. The LMS eLab will join a network of 43 other VW eLabs currently in place in elementary and high schools across the county.
Mrs. Avans is already hard at work transforming the science lab to prepare for new digital fabrication tools and materials. Each eLab is designed according to the unique needs and culture of the school it serves, and LMS leadership and staff are collaborating to determine which technologies and projects will integrate well into existing curriculums and best support the students.
One thing is for sure - the skills gained in the eLab will ensure LMS students graduate prepared to thrive in advanced STEM-focused learning environments. “I’m so excited for our students to have this opportunity,” said Mrs. Avans. “They will start middle school knowing how to laser cut, how to 3D print and code computers … they will have the skills they need to succeed wherever they go next.”
Science Learning Continues After School
For those students with a special interest in science and technology, LMS offers three extracurricular opportunities to hone and strengthen STEM-based skills.
Every fall, Mrs. Avans selects a group of six to eight fourth- and fifth-graders to form the LMS Robotics Team. She and LMS teacher Gina Hughes coach the students to prepare for and compete in the FIRST® LEGO® League annual competition, during which they are challenged to build and program a LEGO robot that navigates a mission, while also engaging in research related to the annual event theme.
This year’s theme was oceans and seas, and the LMS robotics team chose an especially esoteric topic to research - whale poop.
“As an endangered species, whales are often hard to study, but you can tell a lot about a whale - what it’s eaten, if it’s pregnant - by its poop,” said Mrs. Avans. As part of their research presentation, the students proposed using aerial drones to scoop up and study whale poop - allowing them to gather important data without disturbing the undersea ecosystem. While they ultimately didn’t advance past the regional qualifying tournament this year, the team did win the Innovation Project Award for their creative, solution-focused research project.
In the spring, students have the opportunity to be considered for two other extracurricular science programs: Science Olympiad and the Garden Club. While the Garden Club was put on hold this year because of ongoing preparations for the new eLab, practice for the Science Olympiad competition is in full swing.
Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad is one of the most well-known grade-school STEM competitions in the nation, providing standards-based challenges to 6,300 teams at 425 tournaments in all 50 states. Each year, Mrs. Avans, with support from Joy Kaiser and Debbie Lifsey, selects five to six students from each upper grade (third through fifth) to compete. Students pair up to study and prepare for knowledge- and engineering-based challenges, from building a bridge that can bear a certain weight to learning dozens of constellations across the night sky. Last year, LMS students won an impressive total of 15 awards, and this year’s teams are already hard at work preparing for the upcoming competition on May 12.
From the students and parents to teachers and staff, the entire school community is grateful for the flourishing science program at LMS. “The LMS Science Lab is a unique space in Hamilton County Schools. Our students have excelled in science and their continuing education because of the opportunity to dig deep into the learning,” said Mrs. Avans. “I am thankful for the ongoing support of the community and look forward to leading the eLab next year.”
by Kirsten Yates
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