Problem-Solving Takes Center Stage at HMS Interactive STEM Day

Houston Middle School’s main hallway transformed into a hands-on innovation zone this week as STEM teacher Brett Emerson hosted STEM Day, an interactive event designed to immerse students in problem-solving, engineering, and scientific thinking. Throughout the day, students rotated through a series of stations that challenged them to think creatively, collaborate, and test their ideas in real time.

“STEM is all about problem solving,” Emerson said as he guided students through the activities. “Each station presents a challenge that pushes them to think differently, revise their approach, and try again.”

At one station, students helped “Fred,” a gummy worm who had fallen out of his boat (a paper cup), get safely back inside while wearing his life-saver gummy life-preserver. However, students were only allowed to touch the equipment using two paperclips. Further down the table, teams worked to build long-reaching tools out of popsicle sticks to retrieve a roll of tape from a distance, focusing on building a strong enough structure to hold the weight.

Students also learned about energy transfer by constructing Ninja stars that released a burst of kinetic energy when dropped. Other stations tested balance and precision as students competed to stack cups into the tallest stable tower. At the projectile challenge, students adjusted the angle and force of a launcher to send an arrow through a hula hoop, earning a Jolly Rancher if they succeeded.

While the day was packed with fun, Emerson emphasized that the purpose of STEM day is to spark renewed interest in the STEM elective pathway. “I’m trying to promote the STEM program overall and get more students to sign up,” he explained. “Hands-on days like this show them what STEM is really about.”

Emerson teaches STEM to all three grade levels. Sixth graders focus on robotics, including programming LEGO EV3 robots and using new Hydrobot robotic arms. Seventh graders shift to engineering and design, building bridges and creating 3D-printed projects. Eighth graders take to the skies with drones, airplanes, and other flight-based engineering challenges.

Emerson hopes that STEM day inspires students in the upper grade levels to return to STEM saying, “As long as they’re building, experimenting, and problem solving, they’re learning exactly what STEM is all about.”