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There is still time to join in the fun!
The Cardboard Challenge is going on every day this week from 3:30-4:45 daily in the Stem Lab and Art Studio until Friday September 30! Work at school - or at home - or both. Be sure to bring your creations to show on Friday during the EXPO - and even if you don't join this time...come by after school on Friday and see what the fun is all about! JK-2nd graders need an adult with them, 3rd and up may come by themselves! First Graders rotated through the STEM lab in two groups. Each group took turns exploring with our Strawbees, one of our new STEM materials, while the other group practiced logging into their computers and using a web browser to navigate to our STEM Lab website. This week the fourth graders were introduced to a new STEM "toy" in the lab. Although they reminded me of our #5 STEM Guideline: Materials are Tools (not toys). Strawbees are a wonderful open ended engineering creative educational product. The students were thrilled to get to "play" with them during their STEM time on Friday. Their joy was contagious! Lesson: Kindergartners learned about a mouse and keyboard and worked on their first lesson independently logging into our computers and using a "secret" password. Then they learned to identify the Google Chrome button and the address bar. Just like there is only one address in the whole world where you can find ECA, each website has a unique address. We practiced typing in starfall.com. Everyone was successful with a little help. Classes: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade Task: Step by step experimentation of building paper bridges. What thickness and shape make stronger bridges? Children estimate how much weight (how many pennies) each bridge type can hold and test their hypothesis. Conclusion - Triangles make bridges strong! Task - Using 1 piece of paper, build the longest paper chain possible Tools - 1 sheet of paper, scissors, glue Time - 35 minutes How do you cut the paper to get the longest chain? Come visit the STEM lab to see.
Task - work in a team of 3 to build a tower of cups taller than a meter stick Mission accomplished!
Classes: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade Task - Use 1 sheet of paper and 2 small pieces of tape to create a structure that will hold a book up off the table (at least 6 inches high) Next - which structure is strongest? Triangular Prism, Rectangular Prism? Cylinder? Just how strong? No Really?!?! That is one sheet of paper and two small pieces of tapes with NINE hardcover books resting on top!
That's STEM! To kick off our STEM this year, the 4th-8th grade students had to save Fred the Worm from drowning and get him to his lifesaver. Then create a flowchart and written description of the process, followed by identifying problems or challenges faced during the activity. It was important to remember that stabbing Fred was not allowable. |
AuthorI'm Mrs. G - and we're doing great things in the ECA STEM program this year! Categories
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February 2018
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