Spring is my favorite time of the year. New life unfolds all around us. We are filled with much hope as your children return to ball games, dance, and other extra curricular activities. Life is beginning to feel "normal" again after a world-wide pause caused by a global pandemic.
I love engineering and your children's enthusiasm toward it like a spring day. Engineers invent new things and bring old things to life with their innovative ideas. Your children inspire me with their engineering skills.
Here's a bit of what they've been doing.
Pre-K, Kindergarten, First Grade
Students learned positional words as they placed Humpty Dumpty in the correct position in relationship to a wall. Students engineered a wall that Humpty Dumpty could not fall from. They learned about balance, symmetry, and foundations. Additionally, they learned that there is more than one way to solve a problem and that engineers don't give up. They keep trying. 😊
Students learned that engineers invent things. Students learned about insects and used creativity to invent a new type of insect that solves a problem. (First photo= "This is a Beauty Bug. It buzzes around and spreads kindness.")
Students learned about renewable and nonrenewable resources. They learned about wind power. They engineered a maze that had to move a ball with wind power. They used a smooth ball and a fluffy ("hairy") ball. They had to discover which ball moved better with their wind maker. (pump or turkey baster). They discovered the smooth ball worked better because it had less friction.
Students learned about geographic locations that have falling rocks. They solved a real life problem: How can you save a mountain town- Tiny Town- from falling boulders? Students used their previously learned knowledge of motion to solve the problem. They learned about forces like pushes, pulls, and friction. They learned they could change the direction of a force. They learned that the size of an object and the steepness of a mountain changes the speed of motion.
Second & Third Grade
Students learned about mechanical and electrical engineering. Students also learned how computer engineering is directly related to them. Students learned about robots and built a robot. (No programming involved.) They learned how mechanical and non-mechanical parts interact. They learned all about circuits and magnetism.
They learned to create open and closed, series, and parallel circuits. They also learned about conductors and insulators. Using this knowledge, they created a wand that lit up. The engineering challenge stretched them to create a button for the wand to light up. It was fun to see their ingenuity soar.
Everyone
All students learned about renewable and nonrenewable resources. Students observed the engineering and construction of solar panels being added to our school. Students learned how solar power works. Students also learned about wind and hydropower.
All students learned about Philip Goodwin Freelon, and his contributions to the world. He was an American architect. He was best known for leading the design team (with J. Max Bond Jr. of Davis Brody Bond, and David Adjaye) of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. His work mantra was to only create something beautiful and that would make the world a better place such as schools, libraries, museums, and transportation stations. Following his lead, students created the same type of buildings using various materials.
Your children are a treat to teach.
Remember to stay curious and that engineering is everywhere you look. 😃
💕Mrs. Hall