A2 STEAM first graders present historical markers to the Ann Arbor District Library as part of a Local History Expo

The markers are now on display at the AADL’s Traverwood branch as part of the city’s bicentennial celebration

If you want to know the history of A2 STEAM at Northside School, just ask a first-grader. They’ll tell you all about it.

A2 STEAM’s first-grade Interdisciplinary Project Based Learning unit focuses on local history. The first-grade team of Beth Lafferty, Elizabeth Pierce, and Caroline Semrau led this project examining the hidden history of the A2 STEAM community

The first graders kicked off the project with a tour of the local history exhibit at the Ann Arbor District Library downtown branch. They followed that with a panel discussion featuring community members involved in the creation of A2 STEAM or who attended the former Northside Elementary. This tradition was carried over from the successful panel discussion from the previous school year.

Students also went on a walking tour of the neighborhood, which was designed last year by 8th-grade students.

Current eighth graders from Aimee Bednar’s African American Studies class helped the first graders create this podcast about their project.

It’s an exciting time for the project, said Nathan Hatt, the school’s PBL coordinator, because it coincides with Ann Arbor’s bicentennial this year.

History of A2 STEAM at Northside

In 2014, the Northside community collaborated with the district to modify its programming. Northside Elementary became A2 STEAM, a K-8 Project Based Learning school. In addition to remaining a neighborhood school, students from across the Ann Arbor area come to this school to learn about science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

For the first few years, there was construction every summer to make the building bigger. A new gym and many new classrooms allowed the program to expand from kindergarten through 5th grade to young 5’s through 8th grade. Another playground was added for the younger students, and the fifth graders added a chicken coop.
All students present their project work two or three times a year to real audiences at these special expo events.

“When people think of STEAM,” says Hatt, “they often think of science or engineering. While we offer some incredible programming in these domains, what unities our school is Project Based Learning.
PBL is an incredible way to teach humanities, and this project is a great example of this curriculum approach. Students learn a lot about their school, but through meaningful, goal-oriented, and creative experiences such as this, they also learn skills in reading, math, and writing.”

He said teachers work hard to make sure these projects integrate fundamental skills in literacy and math, and it shows.

“Simply put, PBL is a way to make learning authentic and meaningful,” Hatt says. “We know this has been very meaningful to them, and we are so proud. In 2039, Northside will celebrate its centennial year. These first graders will be young adults. We imagine a future where they are excited to come home to their school and feel agentive to take community members on a tour again. That would really be something else.”