How do you document STEM>

[Mrs.Gregg]

I'm in the process of organizing our new school year, I'm sure I'm not alone. I've got several subjects planned and I had a thought today.

 

How do you document Stem? My girls are part of an ALE here in Washington state (not always my most favorite thing having to document, but when you've had a house on the market for 20m and live 5 hours away and pay rent another place well you take the funding and move forward).

 

This past year I would either take a picture or have the girls real quick write a blurp about it. I'd like to do something more consistent AND I want to document all STEM they do.

Built that lego model from plans. Document it!

Wrote up plans on how to build a wind mill out of tinker toys. Document it! But How? ANY advice would be welcomed. THANKS!:bigear:

[GoVanGogh]

I am in a non-reg state, so am not familiar with portfolios or how much documentation you need. But I am Type A about recording our homeschool journey.

 

I keep a word document and record STEM items as follows --

(Additionally, I photograph and assemble a yearbook for my child each year. All books read are recorded by topic in a separate file and all field trips are logged by subject, like history, fine arts/theater, science or nature.)

 

Calendar year 2012

Science:

Botany (Apologia, garden club programs, guided hikes)

Sharks (Museum visit, books)

Insects (gel ant farm, hatched praying mantis, hatched luna moths,

raised/hatched painted lady caterpillars)

Forest habitat (books, observed rotting log kit, class at nature center)

Prairie habitat (books, class at nature center)

Physics (Elemental Science, science exhibits)

 

Engineer studies:

Electronics lab from Radio Shack

Wrote name with seven-segment displays

Learned how to solder

 

 

From calendar year 2011

 

Engineer studies:

Attended Engineering Week at both local science museums

Architecture:

Assembled “Fallingwater” Lego set & read about Frank Lloyd Wright

A Child’s History of Art: Architecture by Hillyer (Calvert School set)

Architecture drawing class at Studio ArtHouse

Architecture is Elementary by Gibbs Smith, Publisher

 

Ecologist/naturalist studies:

Rachel Carson

John James Audubon

 

Health and human body:

First aid (self education)

911 program (public library w/911 dispatchers)

 

Science:

Elemental Science Chemistry (finished)

Elemental Science Physics

Dissected: fish, frog, owl pellet

Pillbug Project

Pond and water study

Set up vermicomposting system

Edited June 12, 2012 by Suzanne

[ChiknGirl]

My girls are part of an ALE here in Washington state.

 

This past year I would either take a picture or have the girls real quick write a blurp about it. I'd like to do something more consistent AND I want to document all STEM they do.

 

Me too, me too, me too! I'm all :bigear: waiting for responses.

 

I'm thinking of some kind of spreadsheet with types of STEM subjects along the top and dates along the side. Then I can fill in descriptions of projects by date and type. I wouldn't include all the dates in the school year though, just the dates that I have a project/activity to add.

[FairProspects]

We do a lot of pictures, notebooking, and writing or emails about the project. Make a stop-animation movie and send it to the AT, etc. The project IS the documentation.

[masaki]

Would a scrapbook-style album work? The pages with page-protectors would be good for displaying/storing plans and write-ups, photos. There are also different types of add-ons like pockets for saving cds/dvds or other small items, and fold-out pages for documenting bigger projects. I suppose it's sort of a lapbook-type thing, but because pages and other materials are acid-free, at least you know they'll hold up over time.

 

http://www.c-lineproducts.com/product_category.php?cat_id=memory-book-scrapbooking-products

 

Just an idea.