PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Recently there has been so much attention on in-class curriculum and the methods used to teach students with much of the focus on math and reading.

But the Pinellas County school board is shining a light on science, and how to make STEM education more digestible for students.

Several methods are being explored.

Among the topics being examined for possible inclusion are cryptocurrency, how drones help in storms and DIY water purification systems.

But the goal is to make STEM understandable and usable for everyday life.

Seven schools around Pinellas County would be part of the pilot program and many of the science teachers are already being trained in these courses.

The difference with this curriculum is that everything is hands on and they create a problem solving approach.

“Instead of just reading and writing about things, they are actually doing projects,” said Brian Walters, a middle school science teacher. “And they are applying it to real life situations.”

Walters says he loves this potential curriculum and is already applying some of it in the classroom.

The problem students had to solve recently? How to eat healthier.

The solution? How to appropriately read nutrition labels, and they had to recreate their version of a healthier school lunch.  

“Just hands down, the best way to learn science is to do science,” Walters said. “And when you make it relative to their life, then they are even more interested.”

The school board is set to vote on the curriculum Tuesday.

If approved, it’ll first start with 6th graders.