STEM Updates

June 13, 2025

What a fantastic way to end the school year! Our second-grade students just wrapped up an exciting project where they explored the world of 3D design and geometry.

They dove into Tinkercad, a digital tool that allows users to create 3D designs. Applying their knowledge of polygons, students designed their very own custom "Geometry Windows." Once their designs were complete, we used a laser cutter to precisely cut their creations onto pieces of wood.

The learning didn't stop there! With the lights out and flashlights in hand, students experimented with their wooden designs, observing how light and shadow could transform their polygons in fascinating ways. It was a hands-on exploration of geometry, design, and light!

May 30, 2025

Our 2025 District-Wide STEM Challenge has come to a close. Click below to view our Closing Ceremonies Video to catch a glimpse of the amazing creativity and innovation across our Littleton Schools!

May 23, 2025

This week, we published our final 2nd grade podcast for the year! Tune in to hear 'All About Reptiles'.

Next week is the last week of the LPS Spring STEM Challenge. Over 1,000 students in Littleton will complete their Can Do Arcade projects which is very exciting.

May 9, 2025

So far, 190 students have completed the Can Do Arcade Challenge! 

One of the biggest questions we get is, "Can I do this at home?" The answer is YES! A little bit of cardboard, some tape and a lot of imagination is all your child needs to build their own arcade game.

This project is designed to ...

• help all our students see themselves in STEM in a way that connects them to a larger community

• promote student agency and feelings of confidence with being creative problem solvers and solution finders

• unite our Littleton students with a common goal  across schools with built in variability based on interest, skills and abilities

• provide leadership opportunities for our LHS students in the mentor role

May 2, 2025

The LPS PreK-12 STEM Challenge is off to a great start! Over 1,200 students in Littleton will be tackling the same challenge over the next month. The name of the challenge is 'Can Do Arcade'. Students will use the Engineering Design Process to make cardboard arcade games that they can play and share with each other. We have an amazing group of mentor volunteers from the high school who will be interacting and supporting students throughout the project.

The project was inspired by Caine's Arcade. Check out the video to find out more!

April 18, 2025

The Imagatorium has been buzzing with excitement, especially for our 2nd graders! Over the last few weeks, the 2nd graders have started to learn how to use the 3D design tool called Tinkercad. This is a tool that the students will use to create designs for laser cutting, then next year it will be used for 3D printing projects at Russell Street School.

As an extra bonus, the 2nd graders accessed our new Virtual Reality goggles in order to explore concepts about the westward expansion in America. They activated their knowledge from Wit & Wisdom while exploring a Native American site, a settlers camp and seeing a buffalo up close.

April 4, 2025

Did you know that next week is National Robotics Week? We are celebrating all month long in Shakey's Imagatorium! Students will have the opportunity to browse some books about robots and explore some AR resources from Peter O Meter.

Also, we are looking for supplies for an upcoming STEM Project. If you are able to donate any of the following, please send them in to Shakey's Imagatorium.

• cardboard tubes (from paper towels, wrapping paper, etc.)

• empty tissue boxes

• empty cereal boxes

• assorted stickers

• empty egg cartons

Thank you for your support of STEM!

March 28, 2025

Our first graders have been learning about the power of the wind. To celebrate their learning, they visited the Imagatorium for a special STEM Challenge. The challenge is to harness the power of the wind in our wind tunnel to lift a golf ball. The creativity and problem solving was exciting to see!

March 14, 2025

As our 2nd trimester comes to an end, this is a good time to share a summary of all the STEMtastic learning that has been happening in the Imagatorium!

K - Three Little Pigs: Paper and Wood Exploration with the Wind Tunnel

T - Storytelling with Robots and Bridge Building

1 - Words Can Lift You Up with the Wind Tunnel and Coding Stories with Scratch Jr.

2 - Friction Learning Stations and Podcasting (ongoing)

Students also visit the Imagatorium once per month for 'STEM Stations'. These stations are designed to promote the 4 C's of STEM learning: Communication, Creativity, Collaboration and Critical Thinking. Examples of stations that students have explored are:

• LEGO Fort

• Keva Planks

• Plus Plus Blocks

• OSMO

• Cup stacking

• and more!

January 31, 2025

Mrs. MacGregor and Mrs. Hevenor collaborated this week to introduce Media Literacy to our K-2 students. This is an extension of our K-5 Digital Citizenship program. These are the topics we explored:

• K/T - What is Media? Media is any message that is made by people to share information with other people.

• 1st - Is everything online believable? If something doesn't seem right, be curious and check to see if it is true.

• 2nd - Give credit! If you use information that you find online, give credit to show respect to the author.

Click here to see some helpful News & Media Tips for families.

January 17, 2025

At school, students learn how to be responsible and safe online. One of the big topics is how to balance time with technology. Check out this family information sheet with tips for how to support media balance at home.

January 10, 2025

Coding is more than just learning a new language; it's about developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Recognizing the immense value of these skills, we've integrated coding into our curriculum with several platforms, including the app Scratch Jr.

Using literature as a spring board for creativity, first grade students code their own version of Jan Brett's The Mitten. You would be amazed what types of creatures can fit in that mitten!

Our commitment to coding education extends beyond first grade. As students progress through elementary school, they will continue to build upon their coding skills, exploring more advanced programming concepts and tackling increasingly complex projects each year.

December 13, 2024

We love our Sphero indi robots at Shaker Lane. They are a great educational robot for our young learners to learn about computer science. One way that we use them is to retell stories. Our Transitional students are learning about story elements, so they built the setting of the Three Little Pigs with LEGOs, then coded the robots to act as the 'characters' to move from house to house. Watch out for the Big Bad Wolf!

November 27, 2024

Our second graders have been working hard to keep the Shaker Lane Shares podcast going strong. Click here for the latest shows.

Also, a few 1st grade classes had fun creating their own Thanksgiving Day Parade. We used balloons, robots, a green screen and a lot of creativity!

November 22, 2024

Have a look at one of our 1st grade laser cut communities!