Collaboratory Corner

The Final Post of 2018

And just like that, 2018 is coming to a close!  As quickly as it seemed to come and go, I am amazed by how much our students have accomplished in the past year.  They have tackled some major challenges, took on difficult projects, and worked on creating solutions to problems that exist in our community and in our world.   I can't help but sit back and admire their hard work and how much they have grown in the past year.  They are true examples of the empathetic, innovative game-changers mentioned in our district's mission statement.  Take a look at what our incredible students were working on right before we left for break:

Our Pre-K engineers were working on all kinds of holiday-themed challenges!  Their first challenge involved the students designing a better system for Santa's presents to slide down the chimney to keep the presents moving quickly, but safely.  The students created some neat mini-models as prototypes!

The second challenge involved the students using our makerspace materials to create a "Forever Snowman" that wouldn't melt, which was inspired by some stories that we read.  

The final challenge involved the students creating a cozy and "sweet" place for their Elf on the Shelf to rest on his or her journey back to the North Pole after Christmas!

Our kindergarten engineers were testing out a variety of bridge-building materials to see which ones were most effective in building beam bridges and arch bridges that could stand strong when faced with a variety of forces (weights, wind, etc.).

Our first graders continued to explore the world of optical engineering.  They were investigating how light interacts with different materials and seeing whether each material could absorb, reflect, or transmit light.  They also did some research on environmental factors that could affect light research.  Students will use all that they learn from their research to help them design and build their very own lighting systems later in this unit.

Our second grade environmental engineers were testing to see which materials were the most effective in filtering different types of simulated contaminated water.  Through testing, the students were learning which materials would help remove particles, blended chemicals, and other contaminants.  Students will use this research to help them start to blueprint their water filtration systems.  

Our third grade ocean engineers were testing out their sounding poles to see if they could effectively use them to create an accurate topographical map of our mystery model oceans.  Students will soon realize some of the problems with this type of technology and see first-hand why this technology has evolved and changed so much.  Sometimes in order to understand new technology, it's important to explore the problems with older technology.  

Our fourth grade mechanical engineers were exploring the work of Rube Goldberg and his incredible machines that perform a simple task in an elaborate and complex way.  Students first learned about Goldberg as a designer, and they tried to recreate one of his machines.  Then, the students applied what they learned about Goldberg's techniques, and they designed their very own mini machine that could launch a snowball.  

Thank you to all of the students and families who helped make 2018 such a successful year!  I'm looking forward to what is in store for us in 2019!