STEM Program Teaches First Graders How Ice Cream Is Made

First grade students in Paradise Valley Schools in Arizona will have a special opportunity to learn how ice cream is made. The students will participate in Ice Cream Factory, an experiential learning science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program developed by the Paradise Valley Schools Community Education department.

For four weeks this fall, first graders will participate in weekly live 20-minute broadcasts. The sessions will be hosted by a student at a local high school. The children will also be able to have their questions answered by agriscience experts in real time. Then they will spend 40 minutes participating in hands-on STEM activities.

This is the second year the Ice Cream Factory program has been included in the first grade curriculum. The Community Education department created an English Language Arts component for the program this year. It includes two on-level readers that teachers can use for guided reading groups, independent reading, group instruction, or at-home sharing with families.

This year an instructor from a local farm will visit all first grade classrooms in the district with a Mobile Dairy Classroom. It consists of a pulled trailer with two large screen monitors and a presentation that includes a demonstration of how a cow is milked. After the program is over, students and their families will be able to visit a farm for a tour.

The Community Education department received positive feedback from parents, teachers, and administrators after running the program last year. Students enjoyed the sessions with experts and found the activities meaningful and engaging. Teachers found the program easy to implement. The Community Education department plans to expand the program to include four school districts for the 2016-2017 school year.