May
2
May
2
Solar Ovens
During third grade’s online thermal energy unit, one of the homework choices was to design, construct, and test a solar oven. Click here for one example of a solar oven.
March
30
Blanket Forts
As online learning continued, I challenged my engineers to build a fort with loose parts that they have around their homes. I encouraged them to use the Engineer Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve), and to make blueprints of their designs before they began construction. For inspiration, I shared a Wiki site with ideas for blanket forts. As I receive additional photos, I will add them to this post.
Some problems to solve:
How many rooms will be in your fort?
How will you keep the blankets up?
Will there be any windows or doors? How about a skylight?
Will there be light inside your fort?
March
23
Online Learning – Fourth Grade
During online learning, fourth grade engineers were challenged with a STEM activity. Who can build the tallest freestanding tower with five sheets of paper and two feet of tape? The tape cannot be used to stabilize the tower. Can you think of another way to build the tower? Involve the entire family! Click here for sample directions.
March
23
Online Learning – Third Grade
As part of our online learning, third grade engineers were challenged with a STEAM activity. After they reviewed the ways to attach cardboard and watched Caine’s Arcade, they were asked to join the fun and build something out of cardboard. Always impressed with their creativity!
February
27
Bridges
Second grade students learned that civil engineers design and construct roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways.
I explained that they were going to use the Engineer Design Process to construct a bridge with just two pieces of copy paper! The bridge must hold a car and a boat should be able to pass under it. No tape was permitted. They failed and then improved their designs multiple times. Just about everyone tried a beam bridge first. Then, I brought these engineers back together and after looking at arch and truss designs, I then sent them back to work. Folding the paper (like a fan) to construct triangles (truss) proved to be the most effective way to successfully complete this task.
Click here to learn more about bridges.
Planning:
Creating:
Testing:
We noticed that cardboard is supported with triangles too.
February
6
Which Shape is the Strongest?
Second grade engineers reviewed the names of solid shapes, including prisms and cylinders. Students paired and discussed which shape they believed would hold the most weight. Most of our debate focused on whether corners would or would not make the shape stronger. We weighed the books on a kitchen scale before we placed them on the pillars. We discovered that the cylinder easily supported the most weight. We looked at how cylindrical columns are used by engineers, but we recognized that God was the first engineer!
Next, I tasked my engineers with building cylindrical columns. They had many design choices, but teams were only able to use four pieces of paper. Masking tape, scotch tape, and rubber bands were available. Would their cylinders be tall, short, thin, or wide? Would more cylinders hold more weight? How does balance impact your structure? I witnessed collaboration and problem solving as they constructed their pillars. Several engineers used all four pieces of paper to make one stronger cylinder. Others made multiple cylinders and taped them together. What would happen if we made more cylinders and distributed the weight? There was much celebrating as they tested their designs. One structure held 24 pounds, but many others held at least 12 pounds! (Each book weighed 2 pounds.)
Try this at home with different types of paper and be sure to send me a picture! For additional directions click here. and here.
January
26
Snow Structures
Kindergarten scientists study the Arctic and Antarctica. In this lab, we traveled to the Arctic and looked at igloos built by the Inuits, native people of the Arctic. Inuits live in homes similar to ours today, but igloos are still used for hunting or fishing trips.
I tasked my engineers to construct new buildings of “ice and snow” with Styrofoam. I witnessed problem solving, creativity, and collaboration as they built. They worked on balancing their structures and incorporating three dimensional shapes. Styrofoam allows little hands to build without the use of tape or glue. What a fun way to develop fine motor skills and eye/hand coordination too. We learned that Styrofoam is not good for the environment because it doesn’t decompose, so this is one way to reuse it. We used Arctic animals, but there were no penguins because penguins do not live in the Arctic.
January
26
More Cardboard Construction
I demonstrated a variety of ways to attach cardboard (with minimal glue and tape) in this makerspace engineering lab. I tasked my engineers to try a few of these techniques. These are incomplete projects.
I used an awesome new kit called makedo. The kit includes screwdrivers, screws, saws, and a variety of other items to build with cardboard. Click here for more information about makedo. This would be a GREAT gift for engineering at home!
This engineer went home and practiced some of the ways we learned to connect cardboard! Love!
January
16
Makerspace Skills
Engineering labs are always a favorite! The purpose is to teach our students skills which they can apply in STEM projects. In this lab, we learned how to connect cardboard in a variety of ways (without using an abundance of tape or glue). Click here to learn more. Then, my engineers were tasked with building a structure using the slot method.
I shared some real-world examples of the slot method.
This engineer discovered how to make a structure that collapses like the one below.
Marielle went home and built another design! Wow!
