In conjunction with the LS Division exploration of the rainforest, LS students have been completing rainforest-inspired STEAM challenges in the Lab.
Grade 1 learned about protecting the rainforest by reducing our use of plastic. They learned how homemade playdough can be made, how by using homemade playdough they reduce their use of plastic since store-bought playdough comes in plastic containers, and then used homemade playdough for their challenge.
Many of the students were excited to try making the playdough at home,
so here is the link to the recipe for the playdough that was used in class:
Grade 4 is exploring the difference between tropical and temperate rainforests. They learned about the difference between the trees in each type of forest and how that affects the rate of decomposition and the carbon cycle. They were able to enjoy the nice weather this week and search for examples of vegetation that would be typical of the forests. Over the next two weeks, they will see observe the difference in the rate of decomposition between pinecones and pine needles (temperate rainforest) and leaf and fruit matter (tropical rainforest).
This rotation Early Childhood students were learning about coding.
Nursery 2 students learned how to code Ozobot. Ozobot is a small robot who can sense lines. Students were able to code a path for the robot by drawing a line.
Nursery 3 and PreK students were able to pretend they were the robots in an unplugged coding activity. Students picked code cards with directional arrows to code the "robot" through a maze of tiles on the floor.
Kindergarten students using the website Kodable to continue working on their coding skills.
Students are currently working on mastering conditional if-then phrases, loops and functions.
Kindergarten continued with their coding unit this week.
Next week they will begin working on another unit. However since coding is important and helping Fuzzy is fun, students will be bringing home their password and log-on instructions to continue practicing. (For more information on the Kodable program that students use please see last week's blog entry.)
Kindergarten students are also encouraged to practice working with a mouse at home.
Bees and Honey is a website we use in the Lab to practice the three main skills of click, drag, and drag/drop.
Lower School
Since October is All Abilities Month, Grade 4 started a unit on STEMpathy this week. STEMpathy is a term to describe using empathy for those who have different abilities as guidance when planning solutions to STEAM challenges.
@Namaste in School
This week students explored specific guided challenges and build solutions using Zometools.
Virtual Learners used materials at home to complete the challenge. Emmet used Legos for his solutions.
We discussed how it is harder to design solutions for differences in abilities that we can not see. We discussed how during the Engineering Design Process we can use STEMpathy as brainstorm solutions and when we test solutions.
Grade 4 students will continue this unit during the next few weeks as they design an entertainment venue that is accessible and equitable for individuals of all abilities.
@2017TheBestDays
Middle School
Grade 5 also completed their coding unit this week. They had been coding in Scratch. After the completion of their unit they worked on their digital communication skills by creating a pictorial presentation using Pixie.
Halloween Bonus
The following claymation video is posted for you to enjoy. It was created by two Seventh Grade students, Tyler and Sophia.
