STEMology (a Hands-On Exploration of Mythology and Fantasy + STEAM Challenges)

“Science is not opposed to storytelling. Science is a genre of storytelling. Stories of the real world, inspired by observations thereof.”~Sean Carroll

Science meets storytelling in this literature-based STEM class.  Students will explore mythology, fairy tales, folklore, and legends from a whole new perspective: as a scientist, an engineer, or an artist!  Weekly STEM challenge projects will be inspired by well-known tales of old.  

Working together or individually, students will complete a project that tests their creativity, ingenuity, and problem solving skills.  Like the mighty Heracles...will they be up to the task?  In fact, inspired by the 12 Labors of Hercules, this course is designed with 12 missions per "segment" (1 per week, with a new batch every 12 weeks for 48 weeks or one full year).  Students can join in at any time, and track their accomplishments by collecting stamps for their "STEAM Legends" Passport.

Each class will include:
--Group welcome with optional warm-up activity, plus review of supplies, etc
--An introduction to a well-known myth, legend, folktale, or fantasy legend
--A brief exploration of the STEAM concepts we will be testing/exploring in our projects
--An outline of the weekly challenge/parameters plus any tips/tricks  OR a step-by-step build/project led by the instructor
--Time to work on the challenge with instructor guidance and support (sometimes individually, occasionally in breakout rooms with partners or groups)
--Presentation of completed or in-progress projects, with reflection prompts from teacher that help to reinforce and enhance the learning experience and concepts

This class is built on the concept of Project-Based Learning.  While some projects will be guided to provide a framework of understanding and a basic starting point, many of the weekly challenges will be mostly open-ended.  The goal of this class is experimentation, collaboration, and creativity in a positive, affirming environment.  The goal is NOT to be "right" or "wrong" but to be playful in our experimentation, discovery and curiosity.  The students may not finish their projects in class.  In such cases, they will be encouraged to continue working on them after class and to share their results via classroom posts (photos, videos, etc) or at the beginning of the next meeting.  

Weekly themes are subject to change per teacher discretion, and will be updated in the listing and classroom posts as necessary.

🌟 2025 STEMology Weekly Themes
❄️ Winter 2025:

Week of January 5: 🏎️ Cardboard Chariots Challenge (please bring loads of cardboard, tubes, etc.)
Week of January 12: 🧤 Ukrainian Folktale: The Mitten (knitting and pixel art)
Week of January 19: 🔔 Bells and Whistles (to scare off trolls!) — Science of sound and DIY project
Week of January 26: 🌊 Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Scylla and Charybdis and WHIRLPOOLS) — Bring a "tornado maker" tool if available; extra supplies and water needed
Week of February 2: 🌳 Yggdrasil and the 9 Realms (Free-standing Tree Building Project)
Week of February 9: 💘 Love is in the Air (Gods of Love and Bow and Arrow project)
Week of February 16: 🚫 NO CLASS (personal conflict)
Week of February 23: 🌈 Rainbow Bridge: The Bifrost (bridge engineering)
Week of March 2: 🎭 STEMology Fun Week (open-ended STEM challenges inspired by Greek myths)
Week of March 9: 🐍 St. Patrick's Day Snake Snatcher
Week of March 16: 🐺 Loki Lockdown & Trickster Traps
Week of March 23: 🔥 Rainbow Crow and Fire Science (and Safety)
Week of March 30:🌾 The Myths of the Seasons (Persephone and Demeter) + a spring "harvest" planting project
🌸 Spring 2025:

Week of April 6: 🚫 NO CLASS
Week of April 13: 🚫 NO CLASS Thursday and Friday, 4/17-4/18; 🏝️ "Spring Break" Island Getaway: Trouble in Paradise! (Island myths and disaster challenge)
Week of April 20: 🚫 NO CLASS Monday-Wednesday, 4/20-4/23🏝️ "Spring Break" Island Getaway: Trouble in Paradise! (Island myths and disaster challenge)
Week of April 27: 🌸 May Day, May Day! (Roman Goddess Flora, May Poles, and So Many Flowers!)
Week of May 4: 🌌 May the FOURTH Be With You (Star Wars STEM — a modern myth!)
Week of May 11: 🚫 NO CLASS (May 8–13 break)
Week of May 18: 📦 Pandora’s Box (origami creative project)
Week of May 25: ⚡ Gods and Goddesses of the Weather (Meteorology STEM Challenges)
Week of June 1: 🏛️ Myth Maker STEM Challenges OR Hybrid Challenges (STEMology Fun Week)
Week of June 8: 🚫 NO CLASS (Vacation)
Week of June 15: 🚫 NO CLASS (Vacation)
Week of June 22: 📖 Fairy Tale STEM Challenges
Week of June 29: ☀️ It's Always Sunny in ... Rome? (Sol, the Sun God and Solar Power)
☀️ Summer 2025:

Week of July 6: 🦈 SHARK WEEK! Hawaiian Shark Gods / Shark STEM Challenge
Week of July 13: 🐉 Capture the Loch Ness Monster
Week of July 20: 🌊 The Wrath of Poseidon (Ship-building STEAM challenge)
Week of July 27: 🌊 A River Runs Through It (River Myths, Gods, and Monsters) (River-building STEM project)
Week of August 3: 🚫 NO CLASS
Week of August 10: 🏅 Summer Games STEM Olympics
Week of August 17: 🕸️ Spider Lady: Arachne’s Web (Weaving-based STEM project)
Week of August 24: 🎁 Gift Horses and Other Surprises (Trojan Horse-inspired cardboard STEM challenge)
Week of August 31: 🏺 MYTH MAKERS STEM Challenge (Open-ended challenges)
🍂 Fall 2025:

Week of September 7: 🏔️ Journey to Mount Olympus (Cup stacking challenge)
Week of September 14: 🏛️ Welcome to Greece: Column Construction LEGO Challenge
Week of September 21: ✨ Stories in the Stars: Myths and the Constellations
Week of September 28: 🕊️ Wings for Icarus
Week of October 5: 🧩 Minotaur and the Labyrinth Maze Challenge
Week of October 12: 🗼 A Tower for Atlas
Week of October 19: 🐲 Mythical Monsters Chimeric Hybrid Lab
Week of October 26: 🐉 Flights of Fancy: Flying Dragon Challenge
Week of November 2: 🗝️ Escape from the Underworld (Escape Room challenge)
Week of November 9: 🏺 MYTH-MAKERS Challenge (Open-ended STEM challenges inspired by mythology)
Week of November 16: 🔄 MYTH-MAKERS Challenge THE SEQUEL
Week of November 23: 🚫 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
Week of November 30: 🗺️ Mythical Maps (Fantasy Mapmaking Workshop)
Week of December 7: 🏰 Fairy Tale STEM
Week of December 14: 🏡 Gnome Sweet Gnome
Week of December 21: 🚫 NO CLASS (Christmas break)
Week of December 28: 🚫 NO CLASS (New Year’s break)



Future themes TBD, such as: Fairy Whirligig Challenge, Journey to Mount Olympus (cup stacking challenge), Three Little Pigs Construction Company building challenge, and more.

Class dates themes are subject to change at any time based on teacher discretion and will updated in the individual classroom posts.

PLEASE NOTE: Some classes may run over the expected class time, per teacher discretion, but students are never required to stay in the meeting past the scheduled end time.