Teacher of the Day: Ms. Sampietro, Who Spent the Summer Building a ‘STEM Garden’ for Her School
3rd graders exploring gravity with water in the STEM garden! pic.twitter.com/ysNDJtSoPu
— Michele C. Hodge (@STEMeagle) August 25, 2016
Sampietro dedicated her summer to building the garden, which features a dozen stations including a make-believe food stand, a miniature fairy dwelling and a weather station.
The children's garden is so engaging!! pic.twitter.com/VUojTe8nnj
— Michele C. Hodge (@STEMeagle) August 17, 2016
“It’s stimulating for them to feel the different materials, how dirt feels in their hand, what water beads feel like,” Sampietro told The Press Democrat. “It’s just to stimulate their senses, and then they manipulate the materials with different tools. How can I pick this up? How many can fit in a measuring cup?”
Giant wooden spools donated by a local business became tables painted to look like toadstools. A white raised garden bed is enjoying its retirement as a sandbox, thanks to a generous neighbor.
La Tercera staff is having their first meeting in the new STEM children's garden! pic.twitter.com/g0WH5NMfjz
— Michele C. Hodge (@STEMeagle) August 17, 2016
A master gardener is scheduled to plant potatoes, lettuce, squash, celery and beans. In the meantime, students have given gardening a go on their own by weaving plants through an old fence.
Mrs. Sampietro sharing the garden she designed this summer-fantastic!! pic.twitter.com/rY3psaSeUC
— Michele C. Hodge (@STEMeagle) August 17, 2016
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