2015年10月29日，北京中学举办“STEM课程”公开课活动，朝阳区部分学校校长和后备干部参与了此次观摩活动。活动中来自美国伊利诺伊州大学STEM课程中心的主任Pati Sievert教授介绍了该课程发展的历史和近况。

北京中学作为开设STEM课程的学校，聘请了北伊利诺伊大学Sam Watt担任主课教师，为北京中学七、八年级的学生开设该类课程，每周两节。29日上午，“STEM科技整合教育课程”参会研讨人员观摩了八年级学生和Sam老师共同合作一节公开课。本课以小组合作为核心，学生进行动手实验。课后Pati教授对学生的表现给予了高度的评价：“没有想到北京中学的学生这么棒，相信孩子们会在这门课程中学到更多的知识！”

 

学生感受

八年级 杨诗睿：

云水瑶STEM公开课活动报道：在“压抑”的试卷讲评后，云水瑶迎来了一件令人兴奋的事—STEM公开课。

STEM是一门很有意思的课程，它包括了“科学、数学、工程、技术”多门学科。在这个课堂上，我们仿佛不是在上课，而是在进行探索一系列的科学问题。

今天，很多学校的校长和老师都来到了云水瑶的STEM课程进行学习。我们有一点点的紧张，但是很快就被课程的内容吸引住了—我们要利用一块纸板、一些夹子、一根铅笔等材料做一个陀螺，尽可能地让这个陀螺转地更久。

在经过小组讨论，设计好图纸后，我们开始动手实践。我们用橡皮筋把铅笔和纸板固定好。但是，当我们满心期待地转起这个陀螺时，我们发现，这个陀螺转的时间太短了，连2秒都不到，一定是我们的解决方案还需改进。正当我们改进方案时，一位外校的老师走了过来，告诉我们可以用夹子夹在纸板上比较轻的一侧，使重量平均。我们觉得言之有理，立刻动手改进。

后来，我发现，改进后的陀螺确实转的比以前久，但还是远远不够我们的预期。正当我们冥思苦想的时候，又一位老师走了过来，微微地皱起眉头：“陀螺转起来是个锥形，所以转得更持久。但你们怎么能做长方形的陀螺呢？”我非常不解：在我们潜意识中，陀螺的形状一定是圆形的。但是，为什么我们就不能让陀螺的形状更好看一些、更新颖一些呢？我们为什么就不可以标新立异，做一个不一样的陀螺呢？不过，这位老师说的也有道理，我们还需要把我们的陀螺变成一个旋转起来近似圆锥体的图形。

这时，万扬扬突然眼睛一亮，说道：“我们可以把两块一样的纸板叠加在一起，这样旋转起来就更像锥形了！”说着，他就拿起一块纸板，固定在铅笔上。这时，Sam走了过来，外校老师们“呼啦”一下全都围了过来。Sam看过我们的陀螺，称赞道：“这个陀螺看起来很新颖！不过，你们想想，是把纸板固定高比较好，还是固定得低比较好？”我茅塞顿开：“重心越低，物体就越稳！”于是，我们把纸板从375px处下移到了125px处。果然，这次的陀螺转了大概8秒。我们成功啦！Sam对我们露出了欣慰的微笑。

通过STEM课程，我们都受益匪浅。这门课程一改以前的“填鸭式”，而是让我们自己动手，体验探索的乐趣，培养创新的精神。希望外校的老师们也可以推广这门课程，让更多的同学体会到自主学习的乐趣！

 

八年级 任九宁

Tony Ren

I believe that to everyone in our class would say that this day is a special day. Today many Chinese principals came to watch our STEM class. Although principals coming to watch one of our classes is not a big deal to us, but STEM? I am very pleased to find out that Chinese education is gradually turning its direction, and focusing more and more on students' abilities rather than tests.

STEM, is the combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics. Everybody knows that. Today we studied about making a spinning top, and one other very important thing— the procedures of Engineering, or creating something. The first thing to do, is of course drawing a blueprint of the design.

After getting materials, making that thing you want to make, there comes the most important part of the whole procedure—testing. Do you have to re-design or do you share your design and your experience to others, it all depends on that test. Usually, you'll fail, but that's ok. The most important thing of designing a new thing is to figure out where you went wrong and fix the problem.

As a matter of fact, our class did make several very good spinning tops that lasted very long. For example, our group. I used to build tops with Lego blocks, so I already knew some qualities a spinning top should have. At the end of this class, we designed a good top, and we also concluded some qualities a good spinning top should have:

1. It should be a bit heavy, but not so heavy so the inertia of it would be not too big nor too small.

2. The bottom of that thing, in the best condition, should be a half sphere, but at least it shouldn't be too soft or too flat.

3. Its center of gravity should be low, but not so low that it touches the ground.

This STEM class is good as usual. It is a interesting class, and I learnt several things from it— well, at least I did.

 

八年级 高贺然

Angle Gao

Two days before the Halloween, there was a special lesson. STEM! Tell you the truth, I had fallen in love with it since we had the first STEM lesson.

 

STEM is fun but changeling. Today, we were going to make our own DIY spinning top. The purpose of today's task was to make our top last long.

 

Firstly, Mr.Watt gave each of group a sheet and we might write our ideas about the top and then draw drafts on the sheet. After making plans and drawing drafts, Mr. Watt told us what to do next with his big smile. Mr. Watt is a really funny teacher and he always makes us laugh out loud.

 

Secondly, we took some paperboard and clips, tapes and scissors to help. My partner and I cut three circles(different shapes) quickly and we pitched a small hole in the middle of each circle. Then, we put the three circles on a pencil, and then, it's about time to see how our top works!

 

Thirdly, we put the top on the ground and span the top. It didn't work. But at the beginning of our class Mr. Watt had said that improving is the most important. So, we put the circles upside down, trying to make the biggest one on the top and the smallest one at the bottom. Finally, it worked! Our top could last for six seconds!

 

Even though there was still a lot of space for me and my partner to improve our top, I felt happy and cheerful. I like STEM and I really enjoyed today's lesson.

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