Articulate, Confident, Responsible Citizens of the World

STEAM at Cathedral

 
STEAM projects are meaningfully integrated into the curriculum to spark creativity and collaboration among students. Teachers across disciplines work together to facilitate age-appropriate projects that combine Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, promoting the authentic use of our school’s Innovation Lab while making connections to real-world applications. These project-based experiences encourage Cathedral students to explore and innovate, fostering a love of learning and equipping them with future-ready skills.

See the albums below for some of our STEAM project highlights across the grades.

Kindergarten - Monarch Butterfly Study

Kindergarten students study the life cycle of a monarch butterfly in science. As they raise caterpillars in the classroom, they study the environmental factors that can impact survival, such as cold weather, spiders, and fire ants. They learn about each stage of the life cycle, from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, and study the specific foods needed for growth. To deepen their understanding, students visit the Innovation Lab to collaborate on coding challenges that simulate the butterfly's development while navigating common obstacles. The unit culminates in a joyous release of the butterflies into our beautiful Biblical Garden, connecting their learning to the natural world.

3rd Grade - Seneca Village Project

3rd grade students embark on a social studies project to investigate what life was like in Seneca Village, which was displaced by the creation of Central Park, to better understand free Black communities in New York City before the Civil War. Students reference survey maps and use knowledge from classroom discussions and field trips to construct an interactive large-scale map that recreates the lost community. The culminating artifact features student-drawn map segments layered with custom 3D printed models. This map showcases architectural designs of the time as well as more complex digital AR (augmented reality) designs that are viewable through a mobile device.

6th Grade - Shark Tank Competition

Our 6th grade students participate in an annual Shark Tank Competition as the final project of their second trimester English coursework. Students are challenged to work in teams to design prototypes of inventions that solve real-world issues inspired by their current novel study. Previous classes read Sharon Draper’s novel Out of My Mind and brainstormed solutions to improve the lives of people with physical disabilities. This project takes students through the Engineering Design Process using the tools available in our Innovation Lab, promoting problem-solving skills, empathy, and the transformative power of technology. Just like the real competition, students present their final designs in front of a panel of judges that include teachers, senior administrators, and industry experts.
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