STEAM Powered: Why Scale Modeling Hits All the Right Points
Monday, February 23. 2015
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk about STEM education and STEM jobs. The acronym represents the disciplines Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and how those four work better in concert than they would when taught or utilized individually. Of late, some educators have recommended changing STEM to STEAM in recognition of the importance Art plays in education.
Because the term is still relatively new, there is a great deal of flexibility as to what exactly it means. Most people seem to agree that STEM education should provide a well-rounded curriculum that uses the disciplines in concert rather than isolation, and that the outcome of a STEM lesson should have real-world rather than just theoretical applications. The goal is to develop skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, communication, teamwork, and self-sufficiency.
Noted in the paper Examination of Integrated STEM Curricula as a Means Toward Quality K- 12 Engineering Education (Research to Practice), STEM curricula must:
Further, Anne Jolly at MiddleWeb has created a list of objectives for STEM lessons:
These concepts have since expanded beyond the school walls, with new STEM- and STEAM-friendly toy are showing up everywhere. There's been one hobby that has been hitting all these points for years, though: scale modeling.
How so?
Let's start with the five points raised by Dr. Moore et. al. Finding a motivating and engaging context is easy: there are scale model kits available for everyone from gearheads to entomologists, historians to sci-fi buffs. Conveying meaningful and important math and science content is one of the fundamental principles of the hobby: we don't call a car "1/24 scale" because the phrase sounds cool, but because the model used math to create a proportional representation of an existing object. Similarly, scale modeling engages builders in engineering design tasks by default - construction is literally the basis of the hobby. The remaining points—student-centered pedagogies and teamwork/communication—are optional, but easily integrated into any build. Community build projects, team builds, and modular constructions are all ways to build communication and teamwork, while builders of different experiences are almost always willing to share their knowledge with the group.
Ms. Jolly provides some further refinement to these points in her article. As I've noted elsewhere, one of the great things about model building is the "real" feedback: using your hands to create gives you the kind of education and reward that simply doesn't come from studying a subject. Building models certainly uses technology and engineering design processes, and depending on the subject can require a high degree of innovation and creation (plus, every modeler who has been at it for a few years has a few custom-made tools in their toolbox). Addressing a real-world problem is somewhat dependent on the type of model being created, but historically they have been used to refine ideas in automobile design, architecture, and other fields long before the time and money are spent on the final product.
One of the best points she raises is that a good STEM lesson should appeal equally to boys and girls. Every Make-N-Take I have been to has happily included both genders, and the internet has helped reinforce that the community welcomes anyone with an interest.
Finally, I want to address the "A" discipline. Art is arguably as big a part of scale modeling as engineering, thanks to the flexibility of the hobby. Whether someone is swapping wheels on a '70 Chevelle or creating an entire futuristic landscape, there is a certain degree of individuality that finds its way into most projects. To see this in action, just look at any Community Build Project where the modelers are all tasked with building the same kit. You'll likely see as many variants as there are builders, even if the subject is as simple as a snap-together Space Shuttle.
With all this in their favor, models certainly qualify as STEM- and STEAM-friendly toys for all ages (including adults!). They offer a unique combination of challenges that can only be solved by thinking in multiple dimensions, but can vary in difficulty to suit the individual's skill level. Add in the final reward of having a solid representation of your work, and models have definitely hit all the right points.
Because the term is still relatively new, there is a great deal of flexibility as to what exactly it means. Most people seem to agree that STEM education should provide a well-rounded curriculum that uses the disciplines in concert rather than isolation, and that the outcome of a STEM lesson should have real-world rather than just theoretical applications. The goal is to develop skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, communication, teamwork, and self-sufficiency.
Noted in the paper Examination of Integrated STEM Curricula as a Means Toward Quality K- 12 Engineering Education (Research to Practice), STEM curricula must:
- Be based on a motivating and engaging context
- Contain meaningful and important mathematics and science content
- Employ student-centered pedagogies
- Engage students in an engineering design task
- Emphasize teamwork and communication
Further, Anne Jolly at MiddleWeb has created a list of objectives for STEM lessons:
- Helps students apply math and science through authentic, hands-on learning
- Includes the use of (or creation of) technology
- Involves students in using an engineering design process
- Engages students in working in collaborative teams
- Appeals equally to girls and boys
- Reinforces relevant math and science standards
- Addresses a real-world problem
These concepts have since expanded beyond the school walls, with new STEM- and STEAM-friendly toy are showing up everywhere. There's been one hobby that has been hitting all these points for years, though: scale modeling.
How so?
Let's start with the five points raised by Dr. Moore et. al. Finding a motivating and engaging context is easy: there are scale model kits available for everyone from gearheads to entomologists, historians to sci-fi buffs. Conveying meaningful and important math and science content is one of the fundamental principles of the hobby: we don't call a car "1/24 scale" because the phrase sounds cool, but because the model used math to create a proportional representation of an existing object. Similarly, scale modeling engages builders in engineering design tasks by default - construction is literally the basis of the hobby. The remaining points—student-centered pedagogies and teamwork/communication—are optional, but easily integrated into any build. Community build projects, team builds, and modular constructions are all ways to build communication and teamwork, while builders of different experiences are almost always willing to share their knowledge with the group.
Ms. Jolly provides some further refinement to these points in her article. As I've noted elsewhere, one of the great things about model building is the "real" feedback: using your hands to create gives you the kind of education and reward that simply doesn't come from studying a subject. Building models certainly uses technology and engineering design processes, and depending on the subject can require a high degree of innovation and creation (plus, every modeler who has been at it for a few years has a few custom-made tools in their toolbox). Addressing a real-world problem is somewhat dependent on the type of model being created, but historically they have been used to refine ideas in automobile design, architecture, and other fields long before the time and money are spent on the final product.
One of the best points she raises is that a good STEM lesson should appeal equally to boys and girls. Every Make-N-Take I have been to has happily included both genders, and the internet has helped reinforce that the community welcomes anyone with an interest.
Finally, I want to address the "A" discipline. Art is arguably as big a part of scale modeling as engineering, thanks to the flexibility of the hobby. Whether someone is swapping wheels on a '70 Chevelle or creating an entire futuristic landscape, there is a certain degree of individuality that finds its way into most projects. To see this in action, just look at any Community Build Project where the modelers are all tasked with building the same kit. You'll likely see as many variants as there are builders, even if the subject is as simple as a snap-together Space Shuttle.
With all this in their favor, models certainly qualify as STEM- and STEAM-friendly toys for all ages (including adults!). They offer a unique combination of challenges that can only be solved by thinking in multiple dimensions, but can vary in difficulty to suit the individual's skill level. Add in the final reward of having a solid representation of your work, and models have definitely hit all the right points.
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