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Juniors and seniors in Mound Westonka High School’s STEAM class worked through riddles at the Mia. (Submitted Photo)

The STEAM Integrated Physics class at Mound Westonka High School took part in a unique field trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) Nov. 8. The 30 juniors and seniors completed the “Riddle Mia This” challenge using a free app designed by Mia to engage visitors in experiencing art in a different way by sending them on a puzzle-solving quest through the halls of the museum.

The MWHS STEAM class challenges students to meld artistic vision and scientific precision. Taught by chemistry and physics teacher Sarah Morinville and art teacher Laura Hensley, the interdisciplinary course takes the traditional STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math and adds an “A” for art. The goal of the project-based curriculum is to spark students’ imagination and help them innovate through hands-on learning. 

Groups of seven to eight students competed in the Mia challenge, which is similar to a scavenger hunt with “breakout room” style clues to move competitors around different parts of the museum. Think of the museum as a giant puzzle room with students moving through galleries and looking for clues in the artworks. The riddles provided visual hints and word puzzles, giving students the opportunity to really interact with their surroundings.

Following the challenge, each group had some extra time to further explore the galleries. The day ended with a trip to Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul to play indoor artist-designed mini-golf.

“We had a blast spending the day with our students, experiencing STEAM subjects fully fused in real-world settings,” said Hensley.

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