TED
Technology, Engineering, and Design
Embedded Files
MakerCare Space
MakerCare Space
During the 2019-2020 school year, we decided as a school to take our program to the next level by converting our existing traditional library space into a dedicated Makerspace to house our STREAM program and be a dedicated space for imagination, collaboration, and creation. Through the generous donations of various community members and hours upon hours of work put in by our STREAM leadership team, we took the plunge and converted the space, creating our new MakerCare Space on our upper level. We emptied the shelves of many of the books by creating a new library space outside of the 3rd and 4th grade classes and adding new books to our existing K-2 Library. Books that could not be repurposed were donated to one of our partners in Kenya to enrich the lives of the families in their community. The shelves that once housed hundreds of books in our MakerCare Space are now filled with tools, technology, materials, and resources that are readily available for our students to imagine and create! In the summer of 2021, we rebranded and dedicated the space. You can see our progress in the photos below!
Before: Traditional Library
Before: Traditional Library
After: Our MakerCare Space
After: Our MakerCare Space
MakerCare Space Mission Statement
It is the mission of the BSS MakerCare Workshop
To be an environment dedicated to fostering collaboration and creativity
To open our students' eyes to seeing the connections between all they learn
And imagine and create solutions that will benefit those outside these walls
In order to create a brighter future
Our vision always included using the MakerCare Space as a place where we would coordinate outreach to the local Burlington community and beyond with meaningful contributions of our time, treasures, and talents. In the Fall of 2021, we used the space for our first outreach program - Fourth Grade's Lemonade War, which had a goal of raising $300 for The Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which funds research into childhood cancers. Through the dedicated work of our fourth graders and the generosity of our school community, they raised $1,891 over the course of one week!
Since this inaugural project, we have been hard at work using the space for a number of purposes. Our STREAM Buddies use the space each time they collaborate together, which is a dedicated time in their schedules once a week. Our Middle School Coding class, which all fifth through eighth grade students take, is housed in this space every Friday. Our Origami and Sewing middle school electives have also been housed here. The students in the Sewing elective have been learning how to make reusable fabric masks and are currently preparing to make enough to donate to local charities and our Little Portions Food Pantry, which receives monthly food and supply donations from us during the school year. Our second graders created and displayed their Summer Reading Boxitects project in this space. We have big plans for more to come this school year and beyond!
Middle School Projects
Middle School Projects
Every year, middle school students complete a TED project that has them work through the Engineering Design Process multiple times in order to solve a problem in a creative way using cross-curricular skills. Our students have presented at various STEM conferences, including the North Carolina Technology in Education Society Annual Conference.
Downtown Burlington Project
Downtown Burlington Project
In the spirit of revitalization, the middle school students of Blessed Sacrament have been challenged to create their own Class City. Each class will create their own city and choose its name and slogan, and create a brochure or commercial for their city as well as 3D representation using the 3D printers in our MakerSpace. This student-lead project allows each class to embrace the challenge in their own way. All students began with researching the history of our city, Burlington, NC, and have taken a walking tour of downtown. We even ran into a Blessed Sacrament alumni who now owns a music shop downtown. The following week students compiled a list of pros and cons about the city and researched what it takes to be a city planner.
We are currently at the point where each class is embracing the challenge in their own way: while some classes are choosing to become experts on the historical aspects of the city, others have elected officials to work within the class and make sure the project stays on track, while another has created five proposals for their city which will be presented to the class and the best parts of each proposal will become a part of their city.
We can't wait to see how all of the creativity and collaboration come together. (See picture for other possible avenues our classes make take.)
Food Truck Extravaganza
Food Truck Extravaganza
This Middle School cross-curricular project integrated science, engineering, art, math, problem-solving techniques, collaboration skills to design and create a food truck. Students created a personalized menu, logo, business name, and a 3D version of the food truck. Menus were translated into Spanish. Applications for business permits were filled out and code requirements were studied.
This project resulted in each group’s creation of a unique food truck based on their ideas, creativity, and entrepreneurial skills. Students had to include one cooked dish in their menu which they shared at the Food Truck Festival. The then-Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services for the Diocese of Raleigh, Mrs. Kimberly Browning, attended the festival and was extremely impressed by the work done by the students.
Summer Reading Projects
Summer Reading Projects
All grade levels Kindergarten-8th Grade have an assigned Summer Reading book. These books all connect to our STREAM disciplines and students have a reading project to complete, as well as a STREAM Project that they complete once returning to school in the Fall.
You can see examples of our Summer Reading Program books by clicking on the pictures to the right. Examples of middle school books and completed projects are found below.
STREAM Buddies
STREAM Buddies
The STREAM Buddy Partnership began in the Fall of 2013, as an elective for the middle school students. The MS students would partner up with students from 1st and 2nd grade every Friday for an hour. They would work on projects based on their summer reading, LabLearner investigations and other topics that were taught in the elementary classroom. When the 1st trimester ended and electives rotated, another group of MS students would collaborate with the younger students. The same process would happen in the 3rd trimester.
The following year, 2014, the partnership with Kindergarten and 6th grade was for the entire school year. Every Tuesday, the two classes would work on a STREAM project. This work in partnership still continues today, as both classes work together in the Makercare Space. Seventh grade and First grade team up in the Makercare Space every week along with Fifth grade and Second grade.
The BSS STEM/STREAM Buddy System is a unique learning experience for the younger and older students as they learn from each other and exchange ideas that bring out creativity in all ages.
Buddies Juliet, Farah, Christian, and Leo make rockets.
1st & 2nd graders work with their buddies to build the Washington Monument out of pasta, glue, and Play-doh.
Kindergarten and 6th grade buddies make trumpets to honor Louis Armstrong.
First and Second Grade students built incline planks with their STREAM buddies. Then they experimented with the number of pennies it took to raise the apple up and over the incline plank.
Second Grade visits the Middle School Science Lab to learn about Sound.
STREAM Buddies
1st and 2nd graders with their STREAM Buddies working together to save Fred the gummy worm using paper clips - no hands!!
Kindergarten making muffins with their 8th grade buddies to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation.
Some elementary students come to see a dissection taking place in the lab.
Annual "May the Fourth Be With You" Egg Drop
Annual "May the Fourth Be With You" Egg Drop
Each year on our favorite day in May, our students get to see "the Force" (of gravity) in action in a big way!
During the month of April, every class from Preschool to 8th grade creates devices that will (hopefully) protect an egg as it falls from our Middle School Science Lab window on the second floor. Younger grade levels work as a class or in small groups with their STREAM Buddies to create devices, while older grade levels create their devices with a partner or individually.
On "May the Fourth," we all sit outside to watch the egg drops in real time! Afterwards, students not only have natural dialogue about what went right and what didn't, but they begin to formulate plans for how they're going to improve their devices for next year!
Middle School Distance Learning (2020)
Middle School Distance Learning (2020)
During the 2019-2020 school year, BSS had to close abruptly due to the global pandemic, but we didn't let learning from a distance stop us from keeping our STREAM spirit alive!
Video Timothy K 5_19_2020 6_15_41 PMEgg Drop
Video Mockingjay LOVEWambach and Asher 5_15_2020 4_13_11 PMCreate a Maze
Video Li_ence 5_19_2020 3_56_30 PM.mp4Milk Art
Video Faris O 5_18_2020 7_29_09 PM.mp4Make a Recipe
Dino Day
Dino Day
Each year, second grade students research, draw, make models, and present information on dinosaurs. After they gather all of their information they present it to other students, as well as parents and families on Dino Day.
Make a Monster!
Make a Monster!
First and second grade students read the books I Need My Monster and Hey, That's MY Monster! and used the Engineering Design Process to design their monsters and create a "Monster ID" for each one.
Fancy Frog's X-STREAM Adventures
Fancy Frog's X-STREAM Adventures
October 2019
Fancy Frog's X-STREAM Adventure Continues
We are proud to announce the second volume of Fancy Frog's X-STREAM adventure. This time Fancy Frog takes a trip to Mars. Written by the faculty and illustrated by the students of BSS, this book demonstrates how STREAM education can be integrated into a children's book. After Mass today, the Solaris, Tiffany Ehmig, the Troutmans, the Sheppards, the Amicks, and Fr. Paul were honored for their support and contribution to the creation of this series.
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