Photo of the Day: Full STEAM Ahead: The NOCCA Sciences Pop-Up Museum
Full STEAM Ahead: The NOCCA Sciences Pop-Up Museum
Sponsored by Chevron
The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts’ full-day academic program, the Academic Studio, presents Full STEAM Ahead: The NOCCA Sciences Pop-Up Museum, a morning of hands-on, interactive activities and experiments in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math for 5th – 6th grade students and their teachers that will fill Solomon Family Hall and the math/science labs in the Chevron Forum at NOCCA. The annual Pop-Up Museum is designed to help youth explore the fun, beauty and creativity in math and science!
Experiments and exhibits will be led by NOCCA’s students and faculty based on projects they have conducted throughout the year in the Academic Studio’s Integrated Sciences program, an innovative approach to teaching high school science and math launched at NOCCA seven years ago. They will be joined by Chevron volunteer engineers and scientists in engaging invited middle school students with quick and fun science and math Stop-By Stations as well as more intensive In-Depth Depots. Participating teachers will be provided with a lesson plan packet of projects that can be done in any classroom.
Stations and Depots will include:
What’s in a color?: Experiment with color chromatography while making art
Candy Probability: Explore statistical probability using jars of candy
Paper Tower Building Challenge: Design a tower using engineering fundamentals
Made with Code: Try out the basics of computer coding by creating fun animations
Robot Wars: Learn to control robots through basic coding
Fabric of Space-time: Model how gravity holds our solar system together
Crash! The Physics of Motion: Investigate the physics of a car crash using dynamics carts & motion detectors
Shapes & Colors with Computer Math: Make colorful designs using mathematical equations &
computer graphing
A River Runs Through It: Explore the movement of water using water table & Topotable modeling
Colors on the Moove: Create beautiful color designs using the chemical properties of milk &
detergent molecules
Making Waves with Panpipes: Make music by learning how sound waves work
DJ For a Day: Investigate the physics of sound by constructing a working record player
From Chevron:
Virtual Offshore Experience: Use virtual reality to take a tour of Jack/St. Malo, Chevron’s signature deepwater project in the Gulf of Mexico
The Academic Studio, paired with NOCCA’s historic half-day arts conservatory program, serves 250 of NOCCA’s 600-member student body. The Academic Studio has earned an “A” from the Louisiana Department of Education in each of the five years it has been graded. Chevron has been the lead funder in the development of the Academic Studio’s program and synergistic learning environment since Hurricane Katrina.
“Full STEAM Ahead offers us the opportunity to share our creative STEM-based curriculum with students and teachers while also enabling NOCCA students to mentor younger students, show their mastery of the material, and share their love of STEAM,” says Dr. Kit Nelson, Director of the Academic Studio.
“NOCCA’s arts-inspired approach to academics is encouraging students to foster a love for math and science that equals their passion for creative endeavors. By adding Arts to STEM education, transforming it into STEAM, we are cultivating innovation,” said Leah Brown, Chevron Gulf of Mexico Public Affairs Manager. “Chevron has been a long-time partner of NOCCA, and we are proud to once again support this year’s Pop-Up Museum.”