Concept to Reality!

Equipped with their design, power tools, paint and a block of wood, 5th grade tech students were tasked with the job of developing their own boxwood derby car. They successfully completed this multi space project, starting in the Tech Lab with the design process, to the Makerspace for the actual construction of their design and finally to the Art Room where their creativity came to life. Students proudly took a concept and turned it into a reality. Bravo, 5th grade!

Constructing Homes For Others!

6th grade tech class ventured down to the Makerspace to tackle a two week project working with a different kind of tech! Students were tasked with constructing a birdhouse using power tools, screws, wood putty and paint. It was clear that this was a fun project by the amount of paint that made it onto our clothes instead of our birdhouses. But in the end, the projects were a great success and the neighborhood birds got some new homes as well!

Telling Time with the Sun!

Grade 4 has been working hard studying the Solar System. They recently worked with Mr. Casey in the Makerspace to create sundials, the oldest instrument for telling time. The surface of a sundial has markings for each hour of daylight. As the Sun moves across the sky, another part of the sundial casts a shadow on these markings. The position of the shadow shows what time it is. Once they finished creating the handmade sundials, they put them to the test outdoors. Thankfully it was a bright sunny day!

Energy and Energy Transformation

The first lab of the year for 8th graders was an incredible success! Students spent a week learning about potential and kinetic energy along with other various forms of energy (sound energy, thermal energy, electromagnetic energy, chemical energy, elastic potential energy, and more!) and then applied their knowledge by designing and building a functioning roller coaster. Students were placed into groups and moved outside to the back of the school where their creations began! Once students were happy with their tracks, they were given marbles to test if it would actually work. Along with designing and building these roller coasters, students were asked to answer a few lab questions regarding their designs. For example, the students drew models of their tracks once completed and then labeled their “blueprints”. These labels included information such as the types of energy present, where they are present, as well as why they are currently in effect. Overall, all of the students were able to construct working designs which were a blast to build!

El Tiempo – The Weather

After studying the Spanish vocabulary needed to discuss and understand the weather, Grades 3 and 4 built their very own weather stations in the Makerspace. The students enjoyed expanding on what they learned in Spanish class by going deeper into the science of weather and designing their own weather stations. Their simple construction materials included paper cups, popsicle sticks, strings of hair and more.

Kindergarten Circle

Kindergarten students constructed a strong but flexible zig-zag ring of carefully crafted of hand-cut Pine and Poplar pieces. Each student snugly fitted nine pieces together on their own, and then saw that each assemblage, like each student in the class, came together and made a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.