PALESTINE — The classroom of Palestine Middle School teacher Lisa Covington is not a typical one. Instead of entering a room full of students seated at a desk with books open and pencil in hand, students are up and moving around the room, entering and exiting the classroom and, yes, still using a pencil and paper — a little.

Those students are participants in the campus’ Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a program that integrates science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in a problem-based learning environment that seeks to teach content by presenting students with real-world challenges.

On Thursday, one of Covington’s eighth-grade classes was completing work on skimmers — airplane-like structures designed to “skim” a distance across the floor when launched.

“The students had to look at a design on paper, scale it up and then build their own skimmer based on the design,” Covington said. “It takes precision.”

Once completed, the students test their skimmers from a “launch pad,” located outside the classroom at the end of the hallway. They measure the distance of the flight, record their results, make modifications and test again.

“My first test didn’t go well, but I am making modifications,” student Lauren Pickle said. “I am getting better at making the designs.”

Fellow students Taylor Rossum and Jesi Dickey also have learned the value of trial and error in making a design work.

“We have to measure and make sure the air scoop is precise,” Rossum said. “I test it, make modifications and just do the best I can.”

According to Covington, who heads up the PLTW program, the students are doing so much more than making paper airplanes. Through the project, they use math, science, physics and engineering to make their skimmer glide.

“It is a lot of hands-on, working in the classroom and then applying it outside,” Covington said. “That is what it is about, putting those skills into practice.”

Covington’s students seem to feel the same, all reporting that they enjoyed being in a class that was “out of the ordinary.”

“I like that it is different,” Pickle said. “It’s not like anything else in the other classes.”

Dickey agreed with her classmate.

“I like that we don’t just sit on our desks all day and learn stuff,” she said. “And I like the combining of a bunch of subjects into one class.”

Dickey, whose father is a draftsman, also said that the project has given her some insight into what his job is like.

“He does stuff like this every day,” she said, “so I understand a little more what he does and can relate to him.”

Project Lead the Way, a nationwide program, is an extension of the Imagine Mars program that began at the campus last year. It  currently begins in the sixth grade — at Story Intermediate School — and continues through the seventh and eighth grades.

“We are still working with our Imagine Mars program,” Covington said, “but we have partnered with Dr. Michael O’Dell from the University of Texas at Tyler Ingenuity Center to implement the Project Lead the Way program.”

The units that students will be studying this year include: Design & Modeling, Automation and Robotics, Energy and the Environment, the Science of Technology and Magic of Electrons. Projects include making lemon batteries, a telegraph and dragster cars as well as robots.

“Studies show that students in the PLTW program achieve higher scores in reading, science, and math,” Covington said. “It is also a foundation launch pad for college and professional careers.”

Students who complete three or more units, including both foundation units, may be able to receive 1/2 career and technology high school credit. Students who complete all units may be able to receive one career and technology high school credit.

“We want to get information out there about the program, because we have plans on working with people in the community on our projects,” Covington said. “And we hope to expand this program both ways in the future — to put it in at all grade levels.”



Mary Rainwater may be reached via email at mrainwater@palestineherald.com