BRUNSWICK — Students in the STEAM program at Brunswick Middle School recently designed a variety of sensory learning aids for children at Brunswick Preschool. This project is part of the school’s second year offering the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) program, which adds an art component to traditional STEM classes.
Megan Gubanich, one of the course instructors, explained that the program constantly seeks new projects to keep students engaged. “With the exception of stop-motion animation, we try to create new projects each semester,” she said. “We don’t want too much predictability in the course.”
The idea for the sensory learning aids emerged after discussions with special education teachers in the district. Gubanich shared that teachers had noted the challenge of helping visually impaired preschoolers understand concepts, especially when they first encounter books. “It’s difficult for young students to grasp ideas when they are unable to fully see the images in a book,” she explained.
This led to the decision to create tactile learning tools for preschoolers. The project evolved into making sensory bins, which are tactile learning tools that allow children to explore concepts through touch. “Sensory bins are a way for students to physically interact with concepts,” Gubanich said.
Middle school students developed lesson plans based on preschool standards for subjects such as language arts and math. They also created activities and assessments for children ages 3 to 5, integrating them with the sensory bins. For example, students created objects related to the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar, such as a caterpillar, apples, and other items the caterpillar eats. Preschoolers could then count the objects in the bin, or answer questions like, “How many apples did you buy?”
Each sensory bin contained at least 10 items, some sculpted by hand, others 3D printed. The students added diverse textures, such as feathers in the clay, to provide a richer sensory experience.
Gubanich said the project gave her students an opportunity to develop empathy. “They had to think about learning differences and how to help students who are visually impaired,” she said. “Many of them hadn’t considered those challenges, but once they did, it sparked new ideas for making the project more accessible.”
The class also introduced students to potential career paths in education. Gubanich noted that many middle schoolers had never fully appreciated the work involved in lesson planning. “They asked, ‘Do you do this for every lesson?’ Yes, we do,” she said.
The STEAM program was made possible through a generous donation from Jim and Nancy Surace, along with a grant from the district’s Assistant Director of Instruction and Innovation, Donna Spencer, which helped fund the acquisition of 3D printers.
“It’s really a community effort that ensures our class runs smoothly,” Gubanich said.
Related topics: