Course: 3-4 STEM Project-Based Learning | Cornerstone Classical Educators

3-4 STEM Project-Based Learning

Grades 3 - 4
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Course Schedule

Class Follows K-6 Annual Schedule
Dates: 2026-08-25 to 2027-04-06

Cost

Tuition: $250 / Annual
Supplies: $25

Expectations and Homework

Some challenges will be completed individually, while others will offer opportunities for partner or small-group collaboration. Class discussion is an important part of our learning—students are encouraged to share their own ideas and to listen thoughtfully as other engineers explain their designs and thinking. Homework is rare; when assigned, it is light and purposeful, typically taking about 10 minutes. Assignments may include sketching a diagram, listing materials, or briefly explaining how or why a project worked (or didn’t). If your engineer is not yet writing fluently, please feel free to discuss the assignment together. The conversation and reflection around our challenges are more valuable than written responses, and writing ability should never be a barrier to enrolling in this class. To help families stay connected, I will post a brief summary in Google Classroom after each class, describing what we worked on and outlining any homework for the following week.

Prerequisites

None

Class Supplies Needed

The supply fee covers all materials needed for our projects, though families may occasionally be asked to send in small recycled items such as cardboard tubes, bottle caps, or egg cartons.

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About the Course

3rd/4th Grade STEM (Builders Year)

Get ready to imagine, explore, and create in our 3rd/4th Grade STEM class! This hands-on course is designed to spark curiosity and build confidence through creative projects, playful problem-solving, and real-world STEM challenges. Students will work both independently and in teams as they explore how things work—and why.

Our STEM curriculum now rotates through two alternating years:

Builders Year
Innovators Year

Students may take STEM for one or two years, experiencing new content each year. After two years, the curriculum repeats. This structure allows returning students to continue growing their skills while enjoying fresh challenges and new projects. If your child was the 3^rd/4^th grade STEM class for the 2025-2026 school year, he or she is encouraged to enroll in this year’s class!

Throughout the year, some lessons will begin with a familiar Bible story that serves as a creative springboard for a coordinated STEM challenge or project. For example, students might explore David & Goliath through the design and testing of catapults. Other lessons will focus more directly on engineering, design, and problem-solving skills.

Students will explore a variety of engaging STEM topics, which may include:

Simple Machines: Learn how levers, pulleys, wheels, and axles make work easier.
Forces & Motion: Investigate pushes, pulls, gravity, and friction through hands-on experiments.
Structures & Stability: Discover what makes buildings and bridges strong and stable.
Creative Engineering Challenges: Apply math, logic, and creativity to open-ended problems.

Some lessons will incorporate LEGO-based engineering, while others will use everyday classroom materials. Students will participate in a mix of team challenges that emphasize collaboration and communication, and individual projects that encourage independent thinking and creativity.

At the heart of the class is the Engineering Design Process—asking questions, imagining solutions, planning, building, testing, and improving. Students learn that redesign is part of learning and that perseverance leads to better solutions.

This class emphasizes curiosity, creativity, faith connections, and collaboration, helping students develop confidence, problem-solving skills, and a strong foundation for future STEM learning.

Registration

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About Allison

Hello! I’m excited to be at Cornerstone for another year! I teach STEM for 3rd–6th grades and 5th/6th language arts, encouraging curiosity, hands-on learning, and independent thinking.

Before homeschooling our family for the last nine years, I taught kindergarten for nearly ten years, led summer enrichment courses, and presented professional development in technology and literacy. I hold degrees in Business, Communications, and Spanish from the University of Minnesota and Elementary Education and Early Childhood Development from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, plus National Board Certification.

Outside class, I love gardening, biking, hiking, crafting, and reading—you’ll always find me with a book or two in my bag!

More Classes

View other classes for elementary and upper school or all courses taught by Allison Hawley.