STEAM

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is dedicated to preparing students for college and 21st century careers by providing high quality educational opportunities. APS has set as a priority ensuring students receive a rigorous and relevant learning experience through its STEM Signature Program (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) defines STEM Education as an integrated curriculum that is driven by problem solving, discovery, exploratory projects, problem-based learning and student-centered development of ideas and solutions.

SPARK became Cognia STEM Certified in 2022. It was the first school in the Midtown Cluster to receive this honor. To achieve this, SPARK demonstrated 16 learning standards under four domains.

Domain 1: STEM Community Domain

1. SPARK provides equitable opportunities for students to engage in high quality STEM Learning.
2. SPARK Teachers collaborate to develop, implement and improve high quality STEM learning activities.
3. SPARK engages diverse STEM community in order to support and sustain STEM programs and initiatives.
4. SPARK has established a shared vision for STEM and has leadership structures to support effective implementation.

Domain 2: STEM Learning Culture Domain 

1. SPARK Administrators ensure that all stakeholders have ongoing opportunities to access information and learn about STEM implementation.
2. SPARK Teachers & Leaders participate in an ongoing system of STEM-Specific professional learning.
3. SPARK students engage collaboratively in authentic inquiry during ongoing units of study.
4. SPARK students engage in self-directed STEM learning guided by educators who are effective facilitators of learning.

Domain 3: STEM Experiences Domain 

1. SPARK provides within-school and extra-curricular opportunities for students to extend STEM learning.
2. SPARK students demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and have opportunities to develop self-assessment and self-monitoring skills.
3. STEM Learning experiences at SPARK integrate all STEM disciplines with an emphasis on processes and practices associated with STEM.
4. SPARK provides high quality STEM courses and curriculum aligned to recognized standards and organized into interdisciplinary frameworks.

Domain 4: STEM Outcomes Domain 

1. SPARK students demonstrate STEM content knowledge representative of STEM literacy outcomes that prepare them for the next level of learning and work.
2. SPARK students develop STEM skills and cross-cutting competencies that support workforce readiness.
3. SPARK engages in a continuous improvement process for STEM.
4. SPARK conducts evaluative activities to ensure the effectiveness of STEM implementation.

School Wide PBL: How can an urban garden help solve food inequity?

SPARK has created a School Wide Project-Based Learning (PBL) which is an educational approach that involves engaging students in real-world, complex problems or challenges that require critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. It is designed to promote deeper understanding of content, develop 21st-century skills, and foster a sense of ownership and responsibility in students' learning.

When it comes to addressing food inequity, an urban garden can play a significant role. Here's how an urban garden can help solve food inequity:

1. Local Food Production: An urban garden allows for the cultivation of fresh produce within the community itself. By growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs locally, urban gardens increase the availability of nutritious food options in areas where access to fresh produce may be limited.
2. Community Engagement: Urban gardens provide opportunities for community members to come together, collaborate, and take collective action. By involving students, families, and other community members in the process of planning, maintaining, and harvesting from the garden, urban gardens create a sense of ownership and empower individuals to address food inequity in their own neighborhoods.
3. Education and Awareness: An urban garden serves as a powerful educational tool. It offers hands-on learning experiences for students, teaching them about plant life cycles, sustainable farming practices, and nutrition. Through these experiences, students develop a deeper understanding of the importance of healthy eating and the impact of food choices on their overall well-being.
4. Food Security: By growing food locally, urban gardens contribute to food security by reducing the dependence on external food sources. They help mitigate the effects of food deserts, where fresh and healthy food options are scarce, and provide a reliable supply of nutritious produce for the community.

SPARK’s interdisciplinary approach involves integrating multiple subject areas and connecting them to real-world contexts, projects, or themes. Instead of teaching subjects in isolation, an interdisciplinary approach encourages teachers to collaborate and design learning experiences that incorporate various disciplines.

History
Springdale Park Elementary (SPARK) is part of Atlanta Public Schools. In 2009, it opened with 365 students and was the first “green school” in Georgia receiving gold certification from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Springdale Park embodies two historic Druid Hills buildings, the Hirsh Mansion, and the Rutland Building, which is connected to a new, modern building on the back of the property complete with rooftop garden. SPARK embodies environmental responsibility- in everything from the construction of the school to classroom learning. Students participate in recycling and composting, as well as giving back to the community. The school-wide Project Based Learning goal is to grow food to donate to local community food banks.  The garden is a place where both students and teachers enjoy fresh air and music while maintaining the garden, discovering critters, and observing the cycle of life.

Tomato Garden
Fifth grade started tomatoes and sweet pepper from seed. Second and Third graders added marigold and basil while learning about pollinators and companion plants that deter pests. Before planting, third grade tested (pH, N, P, K) and amended soil with Nitrogen (blood meal), Phosphorus, and Potash recommendations that turned out to be very similar to the professional tests done by the UGA extension office in a comparison study.

Seasonal Garden
The seasonal garden flourishes with chard, radish, pansies, cabbage, brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas and broccoli all planted by students. Recent additions of begonia, squash, cucumber, zucchini, and herbs were planted by 5th grade.  The 2022 December cold snap was a good learning point to study weather prediction and farming hardship. Fourth grade students designed weather protection systems to improve the sheets and rocks initially placed during the storm. Meteorologist Steve Gregg donated a weather station used to collect information while students created and recorded weather reports.  An aphid infestation was another unexpected discovery which prompted 1st to control the pests eating the peas they planted earlier this year.  Kindergarten conducted experiments to study ladybug behavior and eating habits to determine if SPARK should release these beneficial insects into the garden.

Pollinator Garden
K-2 grades learned about the importance of various pollinators including bees and butterflies. Highlights include learning the honeybee’s waggle dance, releasing butterflies, and collecting data in a controlled experiment to determine which flowers attracted bees. To celebrate the 100th day of school, third grade planted one hundred tulips bringing the garden to life before perennials bloomed.