Fifth grade robotics concluded it's first Module today. After successfully building their robot base, students went through the design process to add additional elements to their robot so it could solve the design problem. Students then created their own testing fields and had to find a way to collect five hazardous waste blocks and drop them safely in a collection zone in less then two minutes. They had so much fun using the controller to drive their robots!

Kindergarten students enjoyed completing an hour of code activity for their last day of Project Lead the Way. They used the website Kodable to program a fuzz bug with direction buttons to move through a maze. It great to see our youngest cougars get introduced to computer science! The Kodable website and other coding resources for kids can be found on the student link page.

Carpenter's kindergarten students have spent two weeks learning about forces of motion with pushes and pulls. Through a variety of hands on centers, students enjoyed learning how to push and pull. One station students really enjoyed was GoldieBlox, where we read a story and found a way to use wheels, axles and a ribbon to create pushes and pulls! Students also really enjoyed learning about collisions and got to explore how collisions work with dominos. Students loved seeing slo-motion video of their domino creations pushing into each other to knock each other down!

​The fifth graders started our robotics and automation module by researching a specific robot and creating popplets to share what they learned with the class. Using the Robots iPad app, students learned how robots help do dull, dangerous or dirty work for humans. We then became familiar with our VEX robotic kits and worked collaboratively to design and create a toy with moving parts.  

Second grade worked so well this week to solve our module’s final problem, creating our own game on a tablet. We started the week reviewing the engineering design process and students made a plan for their game. Then they created models in Scratch Jr. We had so many “experts” who were able to evaluate and explain their project while helping others. It was a great week of collaboration and creativity! I can’t wait for some of these students to show off their skills at the upcoming Expo. You can view your students final game project in Seesaw.

Third grade students followed the engineering design process to solve the forces of motion module problem of rescuing a trapped tiger at the zoo. Taking what they learned about forces, magnet interactions and simple machines, students built and evaluated a compound machine to lift a tiger to safety. It was amazing to see how each group chose to solve the problem in a unique way. Here are just some of the models students created combining at least two simple machines to make a compound machine. Check your student’s Seesaw journal to see a video of their model in action!