6th graders will be able to start picking up kits up on Thursday (11/12)! 5th and 4th graders can start to pick them up on Friday (11/13)! Younger students will be able to pick them up next week. A video with an explanation of the kits will be posted soon. Students will be required to have completed a quiz demonstrating that they can use the kits safely before they are allowed to pick them up. Parents need to be present. More information will be sent out in a newsletter shortly.

For more updates about all the work that went into these kits and why they are so important, take a look at these Facebook posts in order from oldest to newest.

1. https://www.facebook.com/stuart.loebl.1/posts/2684463681818946

2. https://www.facebook.com/stuart.loebl.1/posts/2701741683424479

3. https://www.facebook.com/stuart.loebl.1/posts/2717578215174159

I am so excited to get these into the hands of students! Please email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Mr. Stuart

Great news! I am putting together take home kits of science materials so that all students at Lorin Eden can enjoy awesome and enriching hands-on science experiments and engineering projects from home. There are a LOT of reasons for making these kits happen, but the most essential is that it will allow equitable access to hands-on science (and non-science) projects during distance learning. We no longer will have to worry about a simple lesson that asks students to use tape if they have it (like I have been doing with my classes this week) and worry that we are leaving some students out or behind.

Other reasons these kits are going to be so wonderful:

• After this project is done, my next project is to start assembling and creating a library of optional lessons on this website. I see this as an essential form of differentiation, as it will allow kids who have the time and inclination to have guidance on how else to engage in science. With these kits, the number of great activities that kids can do will be exponentially expanded.

• I'm hoping that the kit provides useful materials for all teachers in their lessons (not just me). As one of the many examples of how you might want to make use of them, I am trying to provide a set of dice to every student. There are a dozen ways dice can be super helpful in teaching younger kids math-sense. There are also a ton of supplies that can be used for art activities (not that art ever needs to be thought of as separate from science anyways).

• It's a huge opportunity to teach organization skills and responsible use of equipment. There's a lot of materials to keep track of and no one (parents or myself) wants the items getting spread out and lost all over their house. The first few weeks of my lessons after the kits get distributed will be focused very specifically on developing this skill.

• These kits will be durable and hopefully something kids can hang on to for years. I'll be able to feel OK in future years giving students interesting homework assignments knowing that all students will have the materials necessary to do them.

• I could write a book about why this is so critical right now, but please read on!

I am working to try and get the kits assembled within the next two weeks, but it's a big task and I'd love your help if you are able.

There are 375 kits to assemble to make sure every student at Lorin Eden can get ones, and I'm looking to put 72 different materials in each kit, so obviously this is a big project! I already have much of the materials to distribute, but there is still a lot that I am trying to acquire. If you happen to have extra of the materials lying around I've attached a spreadsheet with all the materials I'm going to put in the kit (link here). What is relevant is the left hand column, The materials that are highlighted in either yellow or orange are ones that I definitely need more of, although anything from the list would be nice to have if you have spare.

Things I am especially looking for more of include (in order rough of priority

• 3 v batteries (button batteries)

• Cardboard Box with lid to hold kit (size of a filing cabinet drawer)

• dice (ideally 2 per kid)

• small magnets 2 per student

• ice cube trays

• Marbles

• 
  

If you have other things lying around the house that you believe students might appreciate or which I could use in a lesson, let me know and I be happy to take them off you. Think materials that would be good for building things like Rube Goldberg Machines. I'm trying hard to upcycle and buy as few things as possible, so your help is definitely appreciated!