SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - When people think of STEM, they usually think of experiments, robots, and large technology. But Lisa Schweska, a fifth grade teacher at Black Hawk Elementary says, it can be much simpler tan that. 

"It's just stuff around the classroom, which is fun for the kids because they realize they can do their own projects at home," said Schweska. 

She gave her students a piece of paper, scissors, a stapler, and tape, and the goal to create the longest paper chain possible. Through a program called "Engineer in the Classroom," students learned how engineers work and the importance of making a plan. 

"If you're not planning then you don't know how to cut the rings out," said Cameron Meyers. "you could cut it long ways instead of short ways when the rest of your team is trying to do it the other way. So you have to plan very carefully." 

The teams also had a time limit, so they learned how to divide work among their groups. Most chose to have one person cut, two people staple, and another person start linking the chains. 

Once their time was halfway gone, the teams paused to talk with each other, and see what they could learn from other people's strategies. This helped them to adjust their plans and problem solve. 

"We knew  if we have more papers it will be longer, and to make it the longest we chose to cut the papers short and thin," said Ameerah Mays. 

Once the time was up, the teams took their paper chains out to the hallway to measure whose was the longest. The winning team explained what strategies they used to increase the length of the chain. 

To finish the activity, the groups linked all of their chains together to see how long they could make it. They ended up measuring a distance over 36 feet. 

In addition to learning about problem solving and the relationship between surface area and distance, the kids also learned the importance of teamwork. 

"These are really good life skills," said Schweska. "Collaboration is tough for kids. They think my idea is the best one. This gives them the opportunity to listen to someone and try to understand where they are coming from. 

Schweska was named the 2025 Horace Mann Educator of the year. 

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