2022-2023

Energy & Me

Driving Question: How can we teach Central Hudson users in our community about energy and the human impact of energy usage? 

Grade 4 students from Sheafe Road Elementary and Gayhead Elementary worked in collaborative teams to design and create an interactive, multimodal presentation for Central Hudson Gas & Electric. This engaging product is now featured on Central Hudson’s Kids Corner Webpage, making student learning accessible to a broader audience.

The presentation can be experienced directly on a device or enhanced through the use of VR goggles. Through this immersive experience, viewers can explore key concepts students learned about such as energy, energy transfer, energy distribution, and energy conversion—all presented through the voices and creativity of our students.

This project highlights the power of authentic learning experiences and the meaningful impact of community partnerships in helping students apply their knowledge to real-world challenges.

Driving Question: How might we create our own Grizzly Math Mysteries for Gayhead Elementary School Grades 2-4?

Fourth grade students at Gayhead Elementary put their mathematical thinking to the test in a creative and collaborative Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience titled Grizzly Math Mysteries. Inspired by the popular Esti Mysteries, students built on their growing skills in estimation, number sense, and mathematical reasoning to design their own original number-based challenges.

Students became the authors of engaging, grade-appropriate mysteries that prompt curiosity and critical thinking in math. Each mystery encourages learners in grades 2 through 5 to estimate, infer, and justify their reasoning using real-world clues.

Through this project, students:

• Strengthened their understanding of numbers and operations

• Practiced communicating mathematical ideas clearly and creatively

• Designed interactive challenges for younger peers

• Contributed meaningful learning tools to their school community

Grizzly Math Mysteries showcases how students can use their mathematical knowledge to inspire and empower others—while making math fun, challenging, and meaningful.

Driving Question: How might we create handheld games for patients at The Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital? 

Fifth grade students from Kinry Road Elementary and James Evans Elementary teamed up with high school students from Roy C. Ketcham High School in an interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning experience to design and fabricate custom games for pediatric patients at the Maria Fareri Children's Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hosptial.

Grounded in the WCSD science curriculum, the project began with elementary students investigating core physical science concepts—including properties of matter, conservation of matter, and the particulate nature of materials. Students used their findings to prototype games that demonstrated how specific materials can serve specific functions.

Through the Design Thinking process, students built empathy for the young patients who would be using the games, defined the design challenge, brainstormed ideas, and created prototypes. High school students then reviewed the elementary designs and transformed them into final fabricated games using industry-level manufacturing tools.

Throughout the project, students from both grade levels exchanged ideas and updates, with high school students sharing progress videos to keep younger students involved. The collaboration culminated in a field trip to Roy C. Ketcham High School, where fifth graders met their high school partners, explored the fabrication process, and experienced the final games firsthand.

“What’s the Matter?” highlights how scientific inquiry, creativity, and compassion can come together to produce meaningful, real-world products that bring joy and comfort to others.