ESports- After School Club
Embedded Files
Rationale: There is significant research that shows organized esports have a positive impact on students. An esports program at the elementary level can help students develop critical social and thinking skills that can impact their academic and personal success.
Club Options
Nintendo-based esports Club: Each club can have up to 20 club members that meet at a time although it might be wise to start smaller at the beginning. Options for meeting on alternate days would allow for a total of 40 students to participate with the initial equipment level of 5 console systems. Appropriate games for elementary include:
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Game: Students will work individually or in teams of up to 3 players to prepare for campus, district, and regional competitions using the Nintendo Super Smash Brothers Ultimate game.
Mario Kart Deluxe: Students will work individually or in teams of up to 4 players to prepare for campus, district, and regional competitions to complete time trials to see who is the fastest.
Minecraft esports club: Participants in the Minecraft club will work individually and teams to prepare for campus, district, State, and National competitions using Minecraft edu on the Chromebook platform. The club participation limit is based only on how much a campus can support with club sponsors. The cost is minimal as the only fee is an annual license per student. Minecraft Guide to esports will be useful for coaches.
Budget
The table to the right shows the budget for initial expenses. More students = Greater budget needs.
External Support
The Texas Scholastic Esports Federation (grades 4 and 5)
Offers free esports competitions, including Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, for 4th and 5th grade.
The Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) offers free Minecraft competition events. All of the coaching materials are also provided.
Farmcraft: International competition that is “an educational program that uses Minecraft to enhance the understanding of the challenges faced by agricultural producers and distributors around the world.”
The Digital Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is a STEAM competition where students from grades 3-12 compete with machines that they have imagined, designed in Minecraft Education Edition, and created in a fun and competitive forum.
Parent Permission
Makerspaces Hackerspaces Hackspaces Fablabs
Makerspaces are collaborative spaces where students can gather to get creative with DIY projects, invent something new, tinker with technology, and share ideas.
Tinker Spaces
A tinker space is a designated area for children to engage in hands-on, open-ended experiences that encourage creativity, discovery, and problem-solving. Tinker spaces can be indoors or outdoors, and may be screen-free and free of digital tools. They can include loose parts, such as natural materials, containers, and fasteners, as well as art supplies and upcycled materials.
The list below are ideas for re-purposing househeold items. Below the list are kits for purchase to build your tinker space.
Play Dough
modeling clay
alligator clips
pool noodles
cups
clothespins
egg cartons
ruler
cardboard
Robotics- Bee Bots, Sphero,
Snap Circuits
Lego pieces or kits
Tinkertoys
magnets
LittleBits
tinfoil
pipe cleaners
scissors
paper
markers
paper tubes
toothpicks
tape
glue
stapler
elastic bands
string
popsicle sticks
straws
Reusable building materials shine! Not only are they kind to the Earth by reducing waste, but they are also cost-effective in the long run.
KEVA Planks
Open-Ended Play: The beauty of Keva Planks lies in their simplicity. Without snaps, hooks, or specific building instructions, they encourage open-ended play and creative exploration. Students can use them to build towers, bridges, ramps, intricate structures, or anything their imaginations conjure.
Classroom: The KEVA Planks website has tons of ideas and an educator section that includes classroom information, grant information, and a free downloadable educator guide. The KEVA Planks YouTube channel has 152 videos in categories such as KEVA Ed for Teachers, KEVA Ed for Kids, Ball Runs, and Speed Builds.
Lego Bricks
Open-Ended Play: LEGO bricks epitomize the perfect blend of simplicity, open-ended play, and foundational engineering concepts. While building, children (and adults!) experiment with different shapes, sizes, and connection points, unknowingly developing spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills. They learn basic engineering principles like balance, weight distribution, and even rudimentary physics as they create towering structures and complex mechanisms.
Classroom: LEGO has several robotic systems made with LEGO parts and pieces. For the regular brick, many websites have been created for lessons and activities for the classroom:
Follow Erik Murray on Twitter/X. I quote, he is the “Instigator of Learning. Trying to find a better way to engage everyone in STEM.” He has great ideas and many include LEGO bricks.
Little Bins for Little Hands is also a great resource for all kinds of LEGO challenges.
Get your free Mars Mayhem Disaster Cards from TCEA (These cards can be used with any building materials, not just LEGO bricks.)
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls from Sarah Dees. She is an educator (BSE in Special Education) and a published author, and she has a passion for creating engaging hands-on activities for kids!
Nurcs
Open-Ended Play: The diverse connector shapes and the endless possibilities of craft sticks ignite creativity and encourage children to design their own unique structures, characters, and anything their imaginations conjure.
Classroom: Nurcs can be used across various subjects, from geometry and physics to art and storytelling. Teachers can create engaging activities that spark curiosity and make learning a fun and rewarding experience. The website also has a Gallery page where builders can send in their creations to be shared with other creators. While working with craft sticks, one can now ditch the messy glue, tape, and hot glue burns.
Strawbees
Open-Ended Play: Strawbees intuitive design requires no complex instructions, making it accessible for a wide range of ages and skill levels. With just straws and connectors, the possibilities are endless! Students can build anything from 3D models and whimsical sculptures to intricate bridges and even working mechanisms.
Classroom: Strawbees can be integrated with micro:bits and quirkbots. The Strawbees Classroom is a digital platform with engaging hands-on learning for STEAM subjects. Strawbees also has a teacher support library.
Go to their website! Strawbees. Contact Julie Kelly for name of a sales representative.
Need project inspiration ideas?
Coding
Web-based so students can use site on their Chromebook.
NEW! Music Lab- Music Lab lets you mix, remix, and even perform music using code. Don’t worry if you don’t know much about code, or even music! All you need is a little time and some curiosity to start making your own creations.
Educational Short Videos for Students
Each topic below is a series of short videos available on YouTube.
How AI Works
How Computers Work
How the Internet Works
How Not to Get Hacked
How Blockchain Works
Inspirational
Careers in CS
Digital Skills
WISD District-adopted software for Technology Application TEKS for grades K-5.
Students can work on their pathway, or doing lessons can be specifically assigned.
This software can be used by students anytime/anywhere!
Learn digital skills with video lessons from Google!
Students can self-select from a large collection of projects. Filter by audience levels of Late Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Learners.
Report abuse