Mars Area Elementary School students are busy at work in their STEAM and art classes, designing and building several space themed, cross-curricular projects.

Third-graders are creating digital “space shadows” of rocket ships, shooting stars and more by manipulating and combining various two-dimensional shapes. The finished designs will be laser cut from poster board to be used as silhouettes on moons that the students painted with watercolors in their art classes.

In fourth grade, students are using TinkerCAD to design custom cutting and stamping tools that will be used as part of an upcoming clay rocket project in their art classes. “Students are learning how real-world designers create tools with a purpose, and they’ll see their digital designs brought to life as functional tools,” says Colleen Hinrichsen, STEAM teacher.

Second-graders are creating their own “alien selves” by bending and twisting chenille stems and then attaching a picture of their face onto the character sculptures. The aliens will be used as part of a stop-motion animation project, featuring clay moonscapes that the students made in their art classes.

If you would like more information, call (724) 625-3161.