S.T.E.A.M. Program

Wilson Hall is a certified Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) school by the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA). To earn the certification, the school met SCISA STEAM standards that include having an inquiry-based learning environment for students that encourages problem-solving, students working independently and collaboratively, and students demonstrating creative and critical thinking.

Other STEAM standards include students using technology resources to conduct research, learning through performance-based assessments, and students demonstrating oral and verbal communication skills to express and elaborate their conclusions. STEAM activities are incorporated into classes, involving hands-on activities to enhance and compliment traditional teaching methods. Students in each class, from three-year-old preschool through twelfth grade and across all academic disciplines, participate in STEAM activities.

Preschool 3 Taste Test

While studying the letter D, preschool 3 students conducted a taste-test of donuts, determining if they like powdered sugar or chocolate covered the best. The activity was also used as a math lesson as they counted how many students like each type of donut.

6th Grade Google Applications

In their Google Applications class taught by Mrs. Emma Ayres, sixth grade students created restaurant menus using skills they learned with Google Docs. The cafeteria staff chose the winning menu  and the class enjoyed the dessert from the menu as a special treat.

7th Grade Literature Reading Project

As a STEAM project, students in the Seventh Grade Literature class play games they made based upon their summer reading books of choice.

PS3 Learns Letter B

To conclude their week studying the letter B, preschool 3 students enjoy chasing bubbles on the playground.

Literature Characterization Project

As a STEAM project, students in the 7th grade literature class collaborate on understanding characterization in their summer reading books of choice.

Anatomy Terminology Project

Juniors and seniors in the Honors Anatomy class practice mapping body region terminology during a STEAM activity. 

PS3 Apple Experiment

While learning about the letter A, preschool 3 students discussed items that begin with the letter as well as participated in a STEAM activity. They each tasted a red apple and a green apple and decided which they preferred, then counted the number for each.

American History Image Challenge

Sophomores in the AP U.S. History class collaborate on an American History Image Challenge for their first class of their first full day of school. The students were tasked with identifying 15 images representing notable events in our nation’s history and then placing them in chronological order.

Anatomy Studies Cardiovascular System

During a unit about the cardiovascular system, students in the Honors Anatomy class learn to take blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. 

Health & Human Development

While discussing different types of therapy in their health & human development class, students learned about pet therapy with a visit by a licensed pet therapy Great Pyrenees, Toby. The class is taught by Mrs. Allyson Sanders, school nurse, and Mrs. Day Caughman, school counselor, will be speaking to the class and will lead group therapy sessions throughout the week.

AP Language Combine

The first AP Combine—similar to the NFL Combine—was one of the final training exercises before the Advanced Placement English Language students take their College Board AP Exam Tuesday. The Combine was designed to give the students practice at making quick mind shifts and using varying skills needed to write three different essays in a timed format. In between using their AP writing skills, the students had fun assignments to mark the change of task, such as skipping backwards on the track, doing cartwheels and lunges on the football field, and carrying beans on a spoon. The students are taught by Mrs. Molly Matthews. 

Kindergarten Butterfly Project

As a STEAM project, kindergarten students observed the butterfly life cycle in their classrooms with their own caterpillars. Students watched as the caterpillars formed cocoons before emerging into butterflies, and after their wings dried they were released on campus. Students  illustrated the life cycle’s phases, enjoying special snacks representing each of the phases.

Preschool STEAM Activity

From observing eggs in an incubator to the chicks hatching, four-year-old preschool students learn about the life cycle of a chicken as a STEAM activity. 

AP Seminar Presentations

Sara Helen Simmons ‘25, one of 20 students in the Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar class taught by Mrs. Molly McDuffie & Mrs. Stacey Reaves, delivers her Individual Multimedia Presentations for the College Board. Complementing her presentation was a 2,000-word Individual Written Argument. The class, part of the AP Capstone Diploma Program, develops students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, and presenting. 

Wilson Hall is the only school in the area approved by the College Board to offer the AP Capstone Diploma Program. The program is based on two, yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. Students who complete the two-year program can earn one of two different AP Capstone awards which are valued by colleges across the United States and around the world. Only 38 schools in South Carolina offer the program and Wilson Hall is one of only five private schools in the state to offer it. Wilson Hall will offer 23 AP courses, the most of any school in the area.  

Marine Biology Dissection

While studying cartilaginous fish, students dissect spiny dogfish, a type of shark, in their marine biology class. 

PS3 Steam Project for Letter U

While studying the letter Uu, three-year-old preschool students write upside down under the table as a STEAM activity.

6th Grade Math Project

Students in 6th grade math create a “figure me out” poster project that requires the use of equations and operations by their peers to find the solution. Questions students asked included their baseball jersey number, how many states they have visited, number of times on a plane, and number of pets they own.

Anatomy Class Studies Neuroplasticity

Students in the Honors Anatomy class wear goggles that make what they are seeing appear upside down, demonstrating human adaptation to inverted vision. The students were studying neuroplasticity and the lobes of the brain, specifically the occipital lobe which controls vision. While wearing the goggles, students tried a variety of tasks such as a bean bag toss, copying images, writing, and running. 

7th Grade Science DNA Experiment

While studying genetics in their science class taught by Mrs. Ashley Morris, seventh grade students extract DNA from strawberries. The purpose of the experiment is to give the students a feel for a basic molecular biology tool which helps in visualizing what DNA looks like physically.

Kindergarten 100 Days Activities

To celebrate their 100th day of school, kindergarten students, dressed as 100-year-old citizens, held a campus parade to display their projects with 100 items. They sang songs and enjoyed snacks, had 100-way exercises, built towers with 100 cups, wrote about what they would do with $100, and experimented if a lollipop would last after 100 licks. 

Honors Pre-Cal Pendulum Lab

After finishing trigonometric graphs, the juniors in the Honors Pre-Calculus work on a simple pendulum lab to demonstrate harmonic motion and the effects length and amplitude have on the time period.

Chinese Class Project

After learning about the Chinese New Year in their Chinese Language & Culture class, eighth-grade students make lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival held on the 15th day after the Chinese New Year.

Kindergarten Groundhog Day Project

After learning about the sun and shadows, kindergarten students made predictions for Groundhog Day by testing their puppets to see if they could see shadows.

PS3 Noodle Necklaces

While focusing on the letter Nn, three-year-old preschool students practice their fine motor skills by using a safety needle to string their noodle necklaces. Some made patterns and others were more creative with their color combinations.  

1st Grade Potato Santa Parade

As a Christmas tradition, first grade students participate in the Potato Santa Parade. For the fun project that encourages creativity and craftsmanship, each student makes a unique Santa Claus by using a potato as a base. The students then parade around campus, visiting other classrooms to share their festive creations. 

AP Seminar Presentation

Students in the Advanced Placement Seminar class give a Team Multimedia Presentation on their topic (Should genetically modified organisms be allowed?) at the completion of their first College Board performance task. Each group in the class selected a research topic, and the group members wrote individual research reports on various aspects of the topic. The students then used their research to formulate an argumentative presentation offering a solution to their research question. 

Computer Designed Cookies

As a STEAM project students in the lower school computer science classes, taught by Mrs. Emma Ayres, designed sugar cookies on Google Jamboard. Mrs. Ayres baked cookies so the students could then create their computer-created designs before enjoying the finished project as a special treat.

Kindergarten Writing

Kindergarten students celebrate with candy canes after completing the first unit of the Lucy Calkins’ curriculum, writing and illustrating a narrative story to read to their classmates. They will also learn informational and persuasive writing this year.

Christmas Ornaments

As a STEAM activity, four-year-old preschool students made Christmas ornaments from plastic cups that were melted in the oven and then, after cooling, colored by the students with markers. Students hung their ornaments on their classroom tree.

Decimals in the Dark

As an interesting and unusual classroom activity, students in the Pre-Algebra II class participated in Decimals in the Dark. The class used black lighting and fluorescent markers to complete a variety of problems using decimals. 

7th Grade Basic Aid Training

While studying basic first aid in their health class, seventh grade students learn how to administer CPR on a model of a medical simulator used for teaching both emergency workers and members of the general public. Soldiers with the U.S. Army Central Headquarters conducted the training for the class. 

AP English Language Analysis

Juniors and seniors in the Advanced Placement English Language class, taught by Mrs. Molly Matthews, confer in groups about sample rhetorical analysis essays and predict scores based on the AP rubric.

PS3 Studies Life Cycle

Three-year-old preschool students study the life cycle of a pumpkin, from harvesting the seeds of a pumpkin to planting the seeds to harvesting the grown pumpkins.

7th Grade Robotics

Students in the 7th Grade Robotics class reassemble and level the 3D printers in the Engineering Lab.

5th Grade Science

While studying mixtures with different densities, fifth grade students visit the STEAM Lab during their science class to make density towers. Using heterogeneous mixtures called suspensions, students determined the densities of the liquids by the layers created. 

2nd Grade Science

After studying the different types of spiders, second grade students created spider climbers as a STEAM activity. Using paper, tape, and ribbon, each student built a spider that could climb a string. 

1st Grade Reading & Art Project

As a STEAM project, first grade students designed masks based on the main character of a book they read.  From the point of view of the character, students described to their classmates the story elements of setting and main idea.

8th Grade Chinese Project

While learning Chinese in their Introduction to World Languages class, eighth grade students practice their Chinese calligraphy as a STEAM activity. 

9th Grade Robotics

Freshmen in the Robotics I class construct a hydrobot arm, which uses hydraulics as a power source.

6th Grade Vocabulary Project

Students in 6th grade history participate in a STEAM activity to reinforce their learning of vocabulary words. The assignment was to break into groups. randomly select a word, and then draw with sidewalk chalk a representation of the word, without using any words. After the groups were finished, they viewed each drawing to determine what vocabulary word it represented and explain how they reached that particular conclusion.