Driving Question: How might we create a pinball machine for our classmates to use during recess?

Since 2020, the Pinball Wizard Project has continued to evolve, providing kindergarten students with an engaging way to explore the science of force and motion through project-based learning (PBL). This year marked an exciting milestone as students at Gayhead and Brinckerhoff Elementary Schools made their debut in the project, bringing fresh ideas, creativity, and innovation to the challenge.

Throughout the experience, students investigate how pushes, pulls, collisions, and other forces affect the movement of objects. Applying their learning as engineers, they design and build working pinball machines using everyday materials such as cardboard, shoe boxes, bottle caps, marbles, and recyclable items.

As students test, revise, and improve their designs, they deepen their understanding of physical science while developing creativity, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills. The Pinball Wizard Project demonstrates how meaningful learning experiences can grow and evolve over time, inspiring students to innovate, create, and bring science concepts to life through play.

Grade 2 – Fishkill Elementary: May the Course Be With You

For the past five years, Fishkill Elementary's second-grade students have participated in May the Course Be With You, a project-based learning experience that integrates science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Students apply their understanding of the structure and properties of matter and measurement to design and build miniature golf holes while meeting specific criteria and constraints.

Using the engineering design process, students test and refine their designs by programming a Sphero robotic golf ball to navigate each course. The project culminates with a partnership with DC Sports, where students visit a professional miniature golf course to connect their learning to real-world engineering and design.

Driving Question: How might you use your science knowledge to create a National Geographic magazine, in order to bring joy to patients at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital?

This collection represents the continuation of a National Geographic-inspired Project-Based Learning (PBL) initiative that began during the 2024–2025 school year. After exploring the original digital library, young patients at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital shared a simple request: they wanted more! Inspired by their enthusiasm, students expanded the library this year, creating a new collection of engaging science magazines designed to educate, entertain, and inspire.

Students from Vassar Road Elementary (Grade 1), Kinry Road Elementary (Grade 4), Fishkill Plains Elementary (Grade 5), and Brinckerhoff Elementary (Grade 5) became science communicators, researching NGSS-aligned concepts and transforming their learning into interactive digital magazines filled with student writing, illustrations, infographics, and engaging visuals.

Grade 1 students at Vassar Road Elementary created GeoQuest: Science that Shines & Sounds, exploring how light and sound help people communicate, stay safe, and understand the world around them. Through a National Geographic Kids documentary-style approach, students explained real-world examples of light and sound waves in ways that young readers could easily understand.

Grade 4 students at Kinry Road Elementary authored GeoQuest: Inside Out: The Secrets of Structures & Senses, investigating how plants and animals use internal and external structures to survive, respond to their environment, and gather information. Their magazines highlighted fascinating adaptations, survival strategies, and the amazing ways living things sense the world around them.

Grade 5 students from Fishkill Plains and Brinckerhoff Elementary Schools collaborated on GeoQuest: Matter on the Move, investigating the properties of matter, physical and chemical changes, ecosystems, and the movement of matter and energy through living systems. Their magazines connected concepts ranging from tiny particles to complex food webs, helping readers understand how matter and energy support life on Earth.

Throughout the project, students used AI tools to support research, receive feedback, revise their writing, and generate ideas for visuals while maintaining ownership of their work. They carefully considered the needs of their authentic audience—young hospital patients—to ensure their magazines were engaging, educational, and accessible.

By responding to the voices of hospital patients and expanding the digital library, students experienced the power of creating work that matters. This project demonstrates how learning can extend beyond the classroom, turning curiosity into creativity and knowledge into a meaningful service for others.

Driving Question: How are traits passed from parents to offspring, and how do inherited variations help living things survive in their environments?

Grade 3 students at Sheafe Road Elementary explored the science of Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits through an engaging study of butterflies. Throughout the unit, students observed the life cycle of real butterflies, witnessing the remarkable process of metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly.

As they investigated habitats, environments, heredity, inheritance, and life cycles, students learned that traits are passed from parents to offspring in both plants and animals. They explored how inherited characteristics create variation within species and help organisms survive in different environments.

To demonstrate their understanding, students designed original parent butterflies and then combined inherited traits to create unique offspring butterflies. Using creativity, scientific observation, and technology, students brought their offspring butterflies to life while exploring the fascinating ways traits are passed from one generation to the next. The project culminated in a public digital butterfly garden that showcased each student's original work, allowing the entire school community to celebrate their scientific learning and creativity.

Driving Question: How can we use our Science knowledge to design virtual escape rooms in order to inform the community about energy concepts for Central Hudson?

Fourth-grade students from Brinckerhoff Elementary and Fishkill Elementary partnered with sixth-grade students from James Evans Elementary School to take on the role of junior systems engineers in collaboration with Central Hudson. As they explored forces, motion, energy, and waves, students investigated how these concepts work together to keep the power grid stable and reliable.

Using the engineering design process, students researched scientific concepts, designed puzzles, tested solutions, gathered feedback, and refined their work to create engaging virtual breakout experiences. Each escape room challenged players to apply their understanding of physics concepts to solve problems connected to maintaining a reliable power grid.

Throughout the project, students also learned how to use artificial intelligence responsibly and ethically as a learning tool. They used AI as a brainstorming partner to generate ideas, sought feedback to strengthen their scientific explanations and puzzle designs, and crafted original prompts to create images that enhanced their virtual breakout experiences. Students learned the importance of combining AI support with their own creativity, critical thinking, and scientific understanding.

Students shared their breakout games with Central Hudson staff for feedback before publishing their final products on the Central Hudson Kids Corner webpage. Through this authentic learning experience, students deepened their understanding of science while developing problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and digital literacy skills as they taught others how physics helps power our world.

Driving Question: How might we use the power of digital storytelling to educate, engage, and inspire children at the hospital through science?

Third-grade students from Fishkill Plains Elementary, fourth-grade students from Oak Grove Elementary , and sixth-grade students from Sheafe Road Elementary partnered with Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital to create digital resources designed to educate, engage, and inspire young patients. Through this interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning experience, students combined science, literacy, technology, and creativity to transform complex scientific concepts into accessible and engaging digital stories.

Third-grade students at Fishkill Plains created informational picture books focused on weather, climate, and hazardous weather. Fourth-grade students at Oak Grove produced Energy Shorts and informational books that explained energy concepts through engaging multimedia presentations. Sixth-grade students at Sheafe Road developed informational books that explored space systems and related scientific phenomena.

Throughout the project, students conducted research, analyzed scientific information, and transformed their learning into digital products using Book Creator and other technology tools. They also learned how to use artificial intelligence responsibly and ethically as part of the creative process. Students collaborated with AI as a brainstorming partner, sought feedback to strengthen their writing and scientific explanations, and crafted original prompts to generate images that enhanced their final products. By combining AI support with their own ideas, creativity, and critical thinking, students learned valuable digital literacy skills while maintaining ownership of their work.

The completed digital books and videos were shared with Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services, providing young patients with meaningful learning experiences while demonstrating how student work can make a positive impact beyond the classroom. Through this authentic project, students deepened their understanding of science, strengthened their communication skills, and discovered the power of storytelling to educate, connect, and serve others

Driving Question: How might we use our knowledge of energy, engineering, and smart financial planning to design, build, and launch a stable, cost-effective rocket for the commercial space industry?

Launched in 2024 and now an annual tradition, this Grade 4 STEAM Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience continues a nearly 50-year rocket-launching legacy that began at Fishkill Elementary. What started at Gayhead Elementary has now expanded to include Sheafe Road Elementary, bringing the excitement of aerospace engineering, entrepreneurship, and innovation to even more students across Wappingers Central School District.

In this immersive experience, students step into the role of startup companies entering the commercial space industry. Acting as aerospace engineers, business leaders, marketing specialists, and financial planners, teams are challenged to design, build, and launch a stable, cost-effective rocket while making strategic scientific and financial decisions.

Using their understanding of energy, forces, motion, and the engineering design process, students design and test rocket prototypes, collect and analyze launch data, refine their designs, and evaluate performance. At the same time, they manage company budgets, track spending, and make financial decisions similar to those faced by real aerospace companies.

This year, students elevated their entrepreneurial thinking by creating professional company webpages that served as digital portfolios for their startup businesses. These webpages documented their engineering journey, financial planning, launch data, design revisions, and company branding while providing an authentic platform to showcase their work to the broader WCSD community.

The project was enriched through partnerships with M&T Bank, the Mrs. Deborah See, WCSD Information Officer, and the Mrs. Kristen Dainty, Assistant Superintendent for Business, who helped students connect financial literacy, marketing, communication, and business operations to the real world. Throughout the project, students learned that success in the commercial space industry requires more than a great rocket—it requires innovation, teamwork, responsible budgeting, and strong business practices.

The experience culminated in a community rocket launch and the presentation of polished company webpages to authentic audiences, demonstrating how science, engineering, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy work together to transform ideas into successful ventures. Through this powerful blend of tradition and innovation, students discovered what it means to think like engineers, entrepreneurs, and future industry leaders.

Driving Question: How might we create a scientific model with explanations of an ecosystem in order to inform our community?

Fifth grade students from Gayhead Elemetnary  embarked on a thrilling STEAM adventure to explore how matter and energy flow through ecosystems.

Students developed detailed ecosystem models that showcased the invisible world of particles, chemical reactions, and energy transformations. These models demonstrated how matter cycles and energy flows through plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment, highlighting the vital role these processes play in sustaining life.

This project emphasized real-world relevance—connecting science to community health, environmental stewardship, and economic sustainability. 

Driving Question: How might we create a scientific model with explanations of an ecosystem in order to inform our community?

Fifth-grade students from Kinry Road Elementary became ecologists as they investigated how matter and energy move through ecosystems. Through hands-on investigations and scientific modeling, students explored the flow of energy from the sun, the cycling of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment, and the role of chemical and physical changes within ecosystems. Partnering with Norrie Point Environmental Center and collaborating with local stakeholders and high school students, students refined their scientific models through authentic feedback from experts. Their final ecosystem models were shared with the community through the Wappingers Central School District website, helping educate others about the importance of protecting and understanding our local environment. 

Driving Question: How could we redesign our playground using our knowledge of energy, force, and motion to create a safer, more engaging, and more effective play experience for students?

Playground Engineers was a seven-day project-based learning experience in which Grade 5 students at Sheafe Road Elementary applied science concepts from Grades 3 and 4 while building a bridge to the more advanced physical science and engineering concepts they will encounter in Grade 6. Through hands-on investigations, PhET simulations, and real-world playground observations, students explored force, motion, energy transfer, friction, gravity, and collisions, collecting and analyzing evidence to make informed engineering decisions.

Using the engineering design process, students developed original hand-drawn sketches and physical prototypes to redesign areas of their school playground before leveraging artificial intelligence to transform their ideas into enhanced digital concepts. Students critically evaluated every AI-generated design for scientific accuracy, feasibility, and alignment with the evidence they had gathered, refining their work through multiple iterations rather than accepting AI outputs at face value.

The project culminated in a Playground Engineering Expo webpage, presenting their evidence-based redesign proposals to the greater Wappingers community. While the experience lasted just seven instructional days, it demonstrates that meaningful project-based learning does not have to span months to create deep learning. In a single week, students engaged in authentic scientific inquiry, engineering design, critical evaluation of AI, collaboration, and public presentation, showcasing how powerful learning can occur when students apply their knowledge to solve real problems that matter to their own community.

Driving Question: How can we create a public service announcement for the WCSD community to show how space systems are connected to keeping Earth sustainable?

For the second year in a row, Fifth grade students from Fishkill Plains Elementary participated in a dynamic Project-Based Learning experience titled Earth, Sun, and Sustainability: Connecting Systems for a Brighter Future.

As Earth System Explorers, students investigated the fragile balance of Earth’s systems—air, water, land, and life—and how they are influenced by space systems like the Sun, Moon, and stars. With the world facing record-breaking heat waves, melting glaciers, and water shortages, understanding these cosmic connections is essential for informed environmental action.

To bridge the gap in public understanding, students created Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in podcast format, blending scientific research with creative storytelling. These student-led podcasts aim to educate and inspire action by linking the wonders of space to practical solutions for sustainability—locally and globally.

By giving voice to science through storytelling, students are helping shape a brighter, more sustainable future for all.

Since its launch during the 2023–2024 school year, Every Can Counts: Cans for Habitat Homes has empowered students to make a meaningful impact through environmental stewardship and community service. What began at James Evans and Kinry Road Elementary Schools continues to thrive today at Kinry Road, James Evans, Fishkill Elementary and Fishkill Plains Elementary Schools as students lead school-wide recycling efforts in support of Habitat for Humanity.

Through this authentic Project-Based Learning experience, students collect and recycle aluminum cans while learning about sustainability, resource conservation, and the positive environmental impact of recycling. Students take on leadership roles by promoting the initiative within their schools, educating others about recycling, tracking collection data, and helping organize collection systems.

Funds generated through the recycling program support Habitat for Humanity's mission of building homes for families in need throughout the Hudson Valley. By connecting environmental responsibility with community service, students see firsthand how small actions can create meaningful change.

This ongoing initiative demonstrates the power of student leadership and collective action, inspiring students to become advocates for both their environment and their community while proving that every can truly counts.

Driving Question: How could we learn from the past and take action today to create a more sustainable future for generations to come?

Sustaining Humanity was a year-long interdisciplinary project-based learning experience in which Grade 6 students at Oak Grove Elementary investigated the connections between history, ecology, engineering, technology, and civic engagement. Students began by exploring how ancient civilizations, including Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome, relied on geography, rivers, natural resources, agriculture, and innovation to survive and thrive. Through historical inquiry, they examined how environmental conditions shaped civilizations and compared those lessons to today's environmental challenges.

Taking on the roles of environmental scientists, engineers, and civic leaders, students conducted ecological field investigations using iNaturalist to document local biodiversity, identify native and invasive species, analyze ecosystem health, and evaluate the impact of human activity on local environments. They combined field observations with scientific research, mathematical data analysis, informational writing, and geographic mapping to better understand how healthy ecosystems supported both people and wildlife.

Students also leveraged artificial intelligence as a collaborative thinking partner to deepen research, analyze environmental issues from multiple perspectives, generate innovative solutions, and refine evidence-based arguments. Using Tinkercad, they designed and prototyped solutions that addressed real sustainability challenges, creating digital models of devices, structures, and systems intended to improve environmental stewardship. Throughout the engineering design process, students tested, revised, and justified their designs using scientific evidence and stakeholder feedback.

A defining feature of the project was the ongoing partnership with New York State Senator Rob Rolison, who collaborated with students throughout the learning experience. As students explored Senator Rolison's bipartisan letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supporting continued efforts to clean the Hudson River, they investigated the history of PCB contamination, evaluated restoration efforts, and examined the roles of local, state, and federal government in protecting natural resources. Through conversations with Senator Rolison, students gained firsthand insight into how bipartisan leadership, public policy, and civic engagement could drive meaningful environmental change.

The project culminated in a public showcase where students presented their ecological research, AI-supported analyses, Tinkercad prototypes, and evidence-based sustainability proposals to Senator Rolison and members of the school community. By integrating social studies, science, mathematics, English language arts, engineering, technology, and civic action, students demonstrated how understanding the past, leveraging emerging technologies responsibly, and engaging with community leaders empowered them to become thoughtful problem-solvers and environmental stewards.