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Creating, cutting and arranging pictures into patterns, completing math-related puzzles in the nick of time and answering questions arranged in a popular game format, were some of the activities that Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) students completed during their first virtual (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) STEAM/Pi Day on Thursday, March 25.  

“We are so excited to virtually offer our first STEAM/Pi Day,” said Liza Cummings, PhD, CHS STEM instructional coordinator and STEAM/Pi Day project leader. “Our teachers have worked hard to make the activities challenging and fun. Although we can’t participate in person, we wanted to continue this wonderful annual event.” 

The students were able to participate in three of the following online CHS instructor/staff-led activities: 

• Tessellations Challenge (Stephanie Newton and Carolyn Kribs):
  Students arranged shapes closely fitted together in a repeated pattern without gaps or overlapping. 

“I learned how to create and make a design of a tessellation,” said CHS freshman Theodric Belt. “I am enjoying the creation, and the design of it is endless.” 

“It’s like a puzzle,” said CHS junior Sydney Williams. “I like it, because it’s different.” 

• Realistic Sketch Challenge, (Hope Jordan and Colin Neumeyer):
  Students showed their skills of drawing techniques using character sketching, doodles, shapes, proportions, perspectives and more while sketching their favorite teacher from a photograph. 

• Escape the Room Challenge version one, (Johnathan Tate and Bridget Nelson):
  Players were put in a factoring/distribution escape game where they had to work together in a race against the clock to solve a series of increasingly challenging puzzles. 

• Escape the Room Challenge version two (Greg Laktzian and Ron Irving):
  Players were put in a(n) area/perimeter mathematics escape game, where they had to work together to solve a series of increasingly challenging puzzles with a limited amount of time. 

• Jeopardy (Agathe Ilunga and Marquita Holton):
  Students were challenged in answering topics related to STEAM. 

• Bingo (Edith Laktzian and Mildred Fort):
  It was a race to get four in a row, column, diagonal or corners of STEAM topics. 

• Sudoku Challenge (Aaron Vance and Anna Turner):
  The classic game involved a grid of 81 squares. Students had to adhere to the rules that each of the nine blocks, columns and rows have to contain all the numbers 1-9 within the blocks, columns and rows. Each number can only appear once in a row, column or block. 

• Rose Slime Challenge (take home assignment)
  Students were charged to create a moist, soft and slippery substance. 

A total of 21 prizes, each a $20 Amazon gift card, will be awarded to the winning students on Monday, April 5, according to Cummings. 

“This hasn’t been just like schoolwork,” said CHS freshman Angel Belt. “Learning from STEAM activities has been fun.” 

The SIUE Charter High School is a school-of-choice for families in the East St. Louis School District 189. The mission of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students who are career- and college-ready upon graduation. To achieve this mission, the school and its staff will positively impact the educational and economic lives of East St. Louis, Illinois youth through individualized instruction in core academic subjects, exploration of career interests and aptitudes, assistance in realizing students' talents, high academic goals, and expectations that graduates will become competitive employees for the 21st century.

Photo:
Liza Cummings, PhD, CHS STEM instructional coordinator and STEAM/Pi Day project leader.