GRADE 5

April 2024

We learned about how the Moon orbits the Earth and how the Earth revolves around the Sun. Then, we created models of these movements using different materials, from paper and brads to LEGOs and code.

We used Google Image search to look up photos of planets in our solar system. Then, we used the colors we found as inspirtation for digital sand art.

Students in the Science Research Club participated in the Carver Science Fair at Temple University. At the fair, students participated in various exploratory activities. Tyson in grade 5 won a special award from the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center at the Carver Science Fair.

March 2024

We designed, built, and tested hydraulic marble mazes with cardboard, hot glue, syringes, plastic tubes, and water.

Grade 5 students participating in the Media and Design Competition shared their projects at a city-wide event.

• Ezra, Garrett, and Tyson won first place in the animation category with their short Ultra Journey. 

• Caila, Laurel, and Zoë won third place in the digital movie category with a commercial about after school programs at our school.

Grade 5 members of the WHYY Media Lab program visited WHYY to learn about conducting interviews.

Students in the Science Research Club continued meeting with Drexel University students and a professor on Fridays to prepare for the Carver Science Fair.

February 2024

We created space-themed animated GIFs. Our goal was to teach someone a fact about space in 2-3 seconds. Some students used Pixilart and Google Slides to create their animations. We converted the Google Slides to an MP4 using PowerPoint. And then we used Adobe Express to convert the MP4 to a GIF.

We began preparing projects in animation, graphic design, and digital movie for the Media and Design Competition.

Grade 5 members of the WHYY Media Lab program visited Telemundo 62 / NBC 10 studios in the Comcast Technology Center to learn about how television news is produced.

Students in the Science Research Club met with Drexel University students and a professor on Fridays to prepare for the Carver Science Fair.

January 2024

We earned Digital Citizen Badges for being Password Security Pros, Screen Time Managers, and Conscientious Digital Sharer. We also played Interland to learn more about digital citizenship.

November & December 2023

We're creating LEGO robot rovers for a NASA-inspired mission. We started building a base with the help of a tutorial.

We also continued working on Genius Hour projects.

October 2023

We're using Scratch, Makey Makey, and homemade playdough to create space-themed games. Since this is a complex project with multiple components, we started by discussing the different tasks we would need to complete and decided on which tasks we needed to complete first.

We started by coming up with a theme for our game, sketching out some playdough design ideas, and coding in Scratch. In our Scratch games, a spaceship needs to avoid asteroids (or some other object) and collect fuel. We needed to create variables (for health and speed) and clones. Here's what we started with. And here's a game about a shark avoiding trash that we used as inspiration for the space game.

We also continued working on Genius Hour projects.

September 2023

We created a simple website using Google Sites that we will update throughout the year. The website serve as a portfolio that will show what we make and learn throughout the year. We made a homepage with a header photo. We also made an "About Me" page with photos, text, and an embedded video. We discussed what kinds of personal information we would and would not want to put on the website. We also kicked off an ongoing discussion about using text, images, and other content in ethical ways that respect copyright.

We added a page to our Google Sites with information about an astronaut we selected. Mr. Smith showed us how to find reliable and reputable websites for a famous astronaut, Ellen Ochoa. She was the first Hispanic woman to go to space. We searched for information and wrote down biographical information about the astronauts we'd selected. We also practiced finding images using a Creative Commons search.

We also kicked off Genius Hour. Students in grades 4-8 have opportunities during their Digital Literacy classes throughout the year to design and complete projects of their choosing. Schools across the world implement Genius Hour programs to support students in pursuing their own interests and explore their passions. The Wildcat Workshop, with its materials and emphasis on civic and creative uses of digital technologies, is a perfect space for this kind of activity.