It's sure been an unusual school year! But, our circumstances aren't stopping us from working hard and learning together. In September, all grade levels participated in several weeks of Digital Citizenship lessons and I am so proud of their thoughtful reflections. October and November were full of fun STEM lessons, mostly focused on engineering and science. Students watch a weekly video lesson from me and complete their activities at home. Below is a compilation of some of the amazing projects they have been working on. I'm so proud of them! If the video is blocked, try this link.
|
The media center was being used for an assembly, so we held out class in the art room for a day. Why not use the time for a fun St. Patrick's Day Ozobot challenge? Students found different pathways to get their Ozobot to the pot of gold. Some found the shortest path, some found the longest path, and others made sure that the Ozobot would make there no matter what path it took.
Kindergarten explored Ozobots and Bee-Bots in the makerspace 1st-2nd continued their coding unit with Scratch Jr. 3rd-5th continued their coding unit with Scratch on the computers Makerclub had fun with paper circuits and Makey Makey's
 2nd graders using the Scorekeeper App they designed in Scratch Jr. Kinder continued their Lego Build challenges. 1st and 2nd grade started their coding unit using Scratch Jr. on the iPads. 4th grade learned about Binary code and made keychains with their initials in binary code. 5th grade began their coding unit using Scratch on the computers.
Kinder started their Lego build challenges in the Makerspace. Each group spins the wheel to see what their challenge will be. So far, they've built robots, animal shelters, and playgrounds. 3rd graders had fun learning, exploring, and coding with the LegoWeDo kits. Check out this video to see them in action! 4th graders have been learning about how robots work. They explored the idea that all robots Sense, Think, and Act by building their own robot creations with Cubelets. Check out this video! 5th graders continued to use their 3D Pens by designing and creating working bubble wands.
Kinders continued their build stations. 1st graders finished their Ozobot unit by creating a zoo map for the Ozobot to explore. 2nd graders engineered a device that would help their Ozobot participate in a beach clean-up. Check out this video! 3rd graders started programming with Lego WeDo (pics to come) 4th graders explored with Cubelets to learn about how robots sense, think, and act. 5th graders started designing with 3D Pens.
4th graders wrapped up their unit by creating a class poster to show how they can be "good digital citizens." Each student created a piece of the poster and when put together they look amazing on our media center wall! 5th graders created Digital Citizen Superheroes that specialize in helping kids be smart, safe, responsible, and respectful on the Internet. A few samples are below, but you can see them all here.  4th Grade "Be Your Best Digital Self" posters
This month all grade levels have been learning to be smart, safe, responsible, and respectful when on the Internet. 1st grade learned how to use websites that are safe for kids, 2nd grade made these awesome Digital Footprints to show the kind of information that is safe to share online, 3rd grade wrapped up their unit by playing a Digital Citizenship board game, and 4th and 5th grade are currently working on projects to share their knowledge of how to be smart and safe online (pics to come). Also this month ... 1st and 2nd graders started their Ozobot unit, learning to draw "just right" lines and codes for their robots to follow. Kindergartners started their Makerspace stations where they used imagination and teamwork to engineer structures with the provided building materials.
School is back in full swing and so are things in the Makerspace! As we work through our Digital Citizenship lessons during rotations, the Makerspace is a busy place to be during students' free time. Things like Coloring Club, Snap Circuits, Kindness Rocks, and our new 3D Printer are what's been keeping us busy these last few weeks!
5th graders enjoyed a little free exploration time with Legos on their last day of rotations. 1st graders learned how to make pathways with color codes for their Ozobots. 2nd graders used programs from Scratch Jr. to create a pathway for their Ozobot to follow. They had to read the code and figure out the length of each line. 4th graders learn about circuitry and have fun creating their own spin art designs using Snap Circuits.
 3rd graders built and coded with their Lego Wedo kits.
5th graders learned how to use our 3Doodler Start pens by creating letters with unique embellishments. 2nd graders used their coding skills to create an app in Scratch Jr. that would help keep track of players' scores while playing a game. Then they used their apps while playing a math card game. The winner of each round taps a button in their app and a soccer ball moves toward their goal. The first player to reach the net wins!
When students have free time, they've been building with Strawbees in the Makerspace. So much creativity! 2nd Graders used codes to get their Ozobot through the winter scavenger hunt, collecting as many items as possible. They had to decide which path the Ozobot should take, turning left, right, or going straight through each intersection. They did great!
3rd Graders and 1st Graders created their own coloring book pages using ABCya Paint & Draw on the computers. It was a fun way to end the week before winter break! 5th Graders created the most awesome Digital Superheroes to help teach other Leos how to be safe and smart while using the Internet. Be sure to stop by the Media Center to check out a few! To see all of their amazing work, check out this LINK.  These kids come to relax, connect, and color every Wednesday in the Media Center. They make Wednesdays ROCK!  1st graders began their Project Lead the Way coding unit by playing an offline coding game called Rosie's Runtime. Students worked in teams to build a program using code cards to get Rosie to her doghouse. Along the way Rosie had to pick up bones and jump over mud puddles.
2nd and 3rd graders worked in pairs to build a structure that would hold the weight of a small stuffed animal. They could only use 20 Index cards and 1 sheet of sticker dots. This was not an easy challenge! They showed GRIT, creativity, and excellent communication as they worked through the problem. Check out these successful structures: 2nd Grade 3rd Grade  1st graders practiced teamwork and engineering skills by building a pipe cleaner structure that would hold the weight of a stuffed animal. Check out some of their structures here.
|
AuthorMrs. Chambers Archives
November 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed