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STEAM in Action

February 15, 2023 | Kate Streelman

Fourth and fifth graders have been diving into a new STEAM study this month: Simple Machines!  We began by researching Newton’s Laws of Motion and seeing them in action.

First Law of Motion: This is the law of inertia.  An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force.

Second Law of Motion: This is the law of force.  The acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied

Third Law of Motion: This is the law of action and reaction.  For every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction.

We studied these through a variety of experiments!  You can see our third law experiment in photos below.  This is a balloon car.  The balloon releases air in one direction and the car moves in the opposite direction.

We also explored the first and second laws by creating a catapult!  Ask your child how they saw those laws in their experiment.  You can also see those photos below.

Kate Streelman

Lead Teacher, Fourth Grade

Kate Streelman is passionate about teaching. In second grade, she decided that when she grew up, she would be a teacher and she has written proof of this goal! She is a graduate of Eastern Christian Schools and Calvin College. Ms. Streelman grew up in suburban New Jersey and has greatly enjoyed moving closer to New York City. Prior to teaching at Mustard Seed, she taught in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Kate joined the staff as a first grade teacher in 2017. Every year brings new experiences, excitement, and challenges, and Ms. Streelman looks forward to them all. A shy student growing up, Ms Streelman loves the community of Mustard Seed and how easy it is to be a part of it. She also likes to find ways to help all students feel like they are a part of that community.

Outside of school, Ms Streelman loves to read, doodle and paint, and spend time with friends and family. She enjoys exploring the area, finding new places to eat and relax, and just going for walks.

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