Course Information

HOW TO ACCESS OUR MEDIA CENTER CARD CATALOG : 

Please be sure to check out the books available in the George G. White / Lucia A. Drake Media Center.       https://hillsdaleschools.follettdestiny.com   Click on George White and then search by author, title, or keywords.    Feel free to email me with any questions.  

Grade 5 - MEDIA   - In our fifth-grade class we will be working in the library and learning how it works.  I will introduce the students to the various genres of fiction books, how fiction books are shelved, and the Dewey Decimal System for non-fiction books.    I will also introduce the students to the Engineering Design Process which is used in Science and our Makerspace classes.   If time permits, I will do a challenge with them and get them excited about our Makerspace / STEAM lab.  

Grade 6 - INTRODUCTION TO MAKERSPACE -  In our sixth-grade class I introduce the students to the Engineering Design Process as a refresher and get them excited about thinking outside the box and realizing that solutions can be done in multiple different ways.    Several challenges are timed so that the students know how to work quickly, other projects may take a few days to complete.   Questions will be answered about the projects and will also incorporate the Engineering Design Process.   Some topics that we cover are Engineering such as, paper helicopters, airplanes and structures.  Some technology projects are also incorporate such as completing and creating digital escape rooms, and well as being introduced to Tinkercad / 3D printing.   

Grade 7 - MAKERSPACE - We continue with our learning and incorporating the Engineering Design Process within our various projects and challenges.    Some challenges are timed to allow the students to learn how to think on their feet.   Some topics that are covered in seventh grade are 3D design using Tinkercad and the MakerBot printers in our Media Center.    I also incorporate other technology and digital platforms by teaching them how to create digital escape rooms, or pixel art.   We also have a great project that incorporates structures and stability with our Bridge Project which all students seem to enjoy.   

Grade 8 - ADVANCED MAKERSPACE -  As we continue with the Engineering Design Process with more projects and challenges, students will also begin to incorporate their passions.    Students will be introduced to graphic design and the GlowForge machine (laser etcher) and create jewelry pieces, keychains, signage, etc.    Students will also work on catapults/trebuchets as well as learning about boats and bouyancy for our annual cardboard regatta.   

KQ Programs for Grades 5 - 8 -  The KQ students will be meeting every other rotation and work on a variety of projects that could include the following (and others):

• CSI Unit

• Restuarant / Food Truck Unit

• Digital Escape Rooms

• Logic Problems

• Rube Goldberg

• Architecture / Design