Chippewa Grade 1

In our first class, we leaned all about what STEAM is and attempted a STEAM challenge. Students worked in teams to create the tallest tower possible out of either paper or plastic cups. They used various methods of stacking and compared their results with other teams in the end. The students had some great ideas about which properties made for better towers!

During the second class, the students are learning all about the design process. After reading the story Rosie Revere, Engineer, we discussed empathy towards others and how Rosie showed empathy while inventing new tools for her family members. Then, the class brainstormed different problems they might have around their own homes that they could try to solve. There were some interesting ones including: messy bedrooms, spilled LEGOS, really dirty pans in the kitchen sink, and pesky leaves and snow. The students came up with some great ideas to try and solve these problems. They sketched designs, then selected materials to build with.

During our third lesson, students read the story Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall. We discussed how the main character's dad showed empathy towards him when he struggled with taking the first jump off of the high-dive diving board. Then, we used spoons, sticks, tape, rubberbands, and more to create our own diving boards/catapults for Jabari to try!

We just started learning how to build bridges in kindergarten and first grade! Here are some of our great ideas!