Past Weeks

September 2, 2026

Monday 

Warm-up: 

• Summer Break

Tuesday  

Warm-up: 

• Summer Break

Wednesday  (1st Day of School)

Warm-up:  Welcome Back!

• Class Expectations: Be On-Time, Be Respectful to EVERYONE, Give Effort, Clean-up

  • Introduction to Class Instagram Page

• STEM is...

  • What is STEM?

  • What does it mean to be impossible?

    • What is something that at one time may have seemed impossible but was eventually achieved?

    • What is something that seems impossible today?

    • Big Bang Theory clip for "String Theory" 

      • share story of former student

Thursday  

Warm-up: Review Class Expectations and "Impossibility"

Grade 7: Playing Cards

• How do you shuffle cards 

  • demonstrate how to shuffle using two piles that flick into one another

  • demonstrate how to "bridge" the cards back together

  • Balance 2,3, and 4 cards against each other

    • 4 cards: 100, 3 cards: 90, 2 cards: 80, No cards: 50

• Card sorting challenge!!!

Grade 8: Playing Cards

• How do you shuffle cards 

  • demonstrate how to shuffle using two piles that flick into one another

  • demonstrate how to "bridge" the cards back together

  • Balance 2,3, and 4 cards against each other

    • 4 cards: 100, 3 cards: 90, 2 cards: 80, No cards: 50

• Card sorting challenge!!!

Friday 

Warm-up: Join Google classroom

Grade 7: Playing Cards (how to build)

• create a free-standing card structure

  • must be able to support a Folder

    • if achieved, try to create a free-standing second (and third) layer on the intial card base

Grade 8: Playing Cards (how to build)

• create a free-standing card structure

  • must suppprt a free-standing second layer on the intial base of free-standing cards

  • second layer should support a Folder

September 7, 2026

Monday 

Warm-up: 

• No School... Labor Day!

Tuesday 

Warm-up: Shuffle Cards (Assessment Friday)

Grade 7: 

• Practice building with cards:

  • support for weight 

  • build for height (2 and 3 layers)... assess tomorrow

Grade 8: 

• Practice building with cards:

  • support for weight 

  • build for height (2 and 3 layers)... assess tomorrow

Wednesday 

Warm-up: Shuffle Cards (Assessment Friday)

Grade 7: 

• Card Building:

  • Assessment for height

    • 3 Layers (100), 2 Layers (90), 1 Layer (80)... No Structure but "TRIED" (50)

  • If height is achieved... practice to build for weight 

Grade 8: 

• Card Building:

  • Assessment for height

    • 3 Layers (100), 2 Layers (90), 1 Layer (80)... No Structure but "TRIED" (50)

  • If height is achieved... practice to build for weight by creating two levels and then place on "load"

Thursday 

Warm-up: Shuffle Cards (Assessment Tomorrow)

Grade 7: 

• Card Building:

  • Assessment for weight

    • 3 Textbooks (100), 2 Textbooks (90), 1 Textbook (80), Folder (70), No Structure but "TRIED" (50)

Grade 8: 

• Card Building:

  • Assessment for weight on Layer 2

    • 3 Textbooks (100), 2 Textbooks (92), 1 Textbook (84)

  • Assessment for weight on Layer 1

    • 3 Textbooks (80)... Requirements not met but "TRIED" (70)

Friday 

Grade 7: 

• Assess ability to shuffle cards: 

  • Smooth Shuffle: 100,  "Chunky" Shuffle 90, Thumb Roll, but No Shuffle 80

• Share card building experience via Google Slideshow

  • You may choose to retest any card building task if desired to improve grade (no penalty)

Grade 8: 

• Assess ability to shuffle cards

  • Smooth Shuffle: 100,  "Chunky" Shuffle 90, Thumb Roll, but No Shuffle 80

• Share card building experience via Google Slideshow

  • You may choose to retest any card building task if desired to improve grade (no penalty)

September 14, 2026

Monday 

Grade 7: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• Design your car blueprint (sample)

  • Identify the "basic" materials you will need/have and the sizes of what is being built/used

    • If time allows, begin organizing materials and sketching out car parts that'll be cut out

Grade 8: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• Design your car blueprint (sample)

  • Identify the "basic" materials you will need/have and the sizes of what is being built/used

    • If time allows, begin organizing materials and sketching out car parts that'll be cut out

Tuesday  

Grade 7: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• Create Slideshow with Blueprint... attach to Google Classroom

• All materials should be gathered and cut to size

  • Find a car design online that you would like to model your design on

    • Use chromebook to document your blueprint, materials, and inspiration

    • begin assembly

Grade 8: Build a Propelled Rolling Car (rubric)

• Create Slideshow with Blueprint... attach to Google Classroom

• All materials should be gathered and cut to size

  • Use chromebook to document you blueprint and materials

  • Research a propulsion strategy using either a balloon or rubberband

    • how will you incorporate it into your design?

  • Begin assembling the car

Wednesday 

Grade 7: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• Finish designing and begin assembling the car

  • goal is to have a fully built and functional car that rolls by tomorrow

Grade 8: Build a Propelled Rolling Car (rubric)

• Assemble your car so that it can roll

  • Rolling Car: 100, Non-rolling car: 85

• Create and test propulsion mechanism

• Begin to design your ramp

Thursday 

Grade 7: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• Assemble your car so that it can roll

  • Rolling Car: 100, Non-rolling car: 85

• Begin assessing how car rolls down ramp and if modifications need to be made

Grade 8: Build a Propelled Rolling Car (rubric)

• Finish propulsion system... repeatedly works

  • car move when propelled: 100; system built but not moving well 90; no movement 80

• Begin to design and build your ramp

Friday 

Grade 7: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• create your ramp using the board and place a set parking space on the ground 

  • space should be two inches wider and two inches longer than your built car

  • record your car going down the ramp and stopping in the parking spot

• Finalize slideshow... presentations Monday

Grade 8: Build a Propelled Rolling Car (rubric)

• Continue to test and modify (if needed) the propulsion mechanism

• Finish your ramp and test your car

• Finalize slideshow... presentations Monday

September 21, 2026

Monday 

Grade 7: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• Test your team's car.... Slideshows will be shared today

  • any info not in the slideshow should be shared orally... grade based on rubric

Grade 8: Build a Rolling Car (rubric)

• Test your team's car.... Slideshows will be shared today

  • any info not in the slideshow should be shared orally... grade based on rubric

Tuesday  

Warm-up: If needed, finish car presentations from yesterday

Grade 7: Marble Coasters (rubric)

• Design a Maze for a Marble to travel through

  • sketch a paper blueprint

• Create Slideshow for project and attach to Google Classroom 

  • Begin laying out design on maze platform

Grade 8: Projectile Launcher (rubric)

• Research the launching mechanism you will be making

  • school appropriate options only

• Design your blueprint and identify the materials you will be using... What is your THEME?!

Wednesday 

Grade 7: Marble Maze (rubric)

• Make sure slideshow is attached to Google Classroom

  • Theme should be displayed on cover slide, along with group members

  • Attach blueprint to slideshow

• Begin assembling maze

  • Cut out "walls" to begin adding to platform

  • Cut out where the opening will go and the path the "bridge" will be

• Add to Slideshow for project 

  • Photos should be added to slideshow on "Assembly" slide as a collage 

Grade 8: Projectile Launcher (rubric)

• Make sure slideshow is attached to Google Classroom

  • Theme for targets should be displayed on cover slide, along with group members

  • Attach picture of what will be made (inspiration)

• Assemble your launcher and projectiles

  • Find inspiration... make launching mechanisms and projectiles

  • test to determine abilities: distance and accuracy

  • take photos for collage of launching mechanism and projectiles

Thursday 

Grade 7: Marble Maze (rubric)

• Continue assembling maze

  • • Walls should be attached; "Bridge should be built, theme decorations are almost done

Grade 8: Projectile Launcher (rubric)

• Demonstrate for me a working launching mechanism

  • make sure you have documented a step-by-step how to assemble the mechanism

• Assemble your platform and targets

  • Make sure theme is present

  • take photos for slideshow

Friday 

Grade 7: Marble Maze (rubric)

• Continue assembling maze

  • Must Be Done Today (Graded):

    • All walls should be attached; "Bridge" should be completed, Theme decorations are almost done

  • Should be started:

    • Cup at end placed, starting gate/door is started

Grade 8: Projectile Launcher (rubric)

• Finalize project and slideshow

  • Record how launcher works...show targets being hit by projectiles

  • Slideshow should have images and video submitted for Monday's presentation

September 28, 2026

Monday 

Grade 7: Marble Maze (rubric)

• Finalize maze... Must Be Done Today:

  • • All walls attached; "Bridge" completed, Cup attached, Gate works, Decorations done

    • show me the maze works (graded)

      •  100 works w/ no issues, 85 works inconsistently, 50: not working

• Presentations will be Tomorrow

  • You can record the marble working first thing tomorrow and attach to slideshow

Grade 8: Projectile Launcher (rubric)

• Finalize mechanism and target... make sure it works (10-15min)

• Share Projectile Launcher and Targets in class... grade is based on rubric

Tuesday  

Grade 7: Marble Maze (rubric)

• Finalize slideshow... Videos of maze done and shared with me (10-15min)

• Presentations will be Today

Grade 8: String Bridge (rubric)

Warm-up: Bridge Challenge... using 1 piece of paper and two cups to support a weight... (if time allows)

• Research types of bridges... identify one you would want to create

  • design your bridge on paper

    • identify materials you will use to construct the bridge

Wednesday 

Grade 7: Box Noggin (rubric)

• Introduce how a cube is made... show shape nets

• Research a character you would like to create (ideas)

  • Begin sketching face

Grade 8: String Bridge (rubric)

• Collect your materials and begin assembling the bridge

• recommended to begin supports as well to suspend bridge from

Thursday 

Grade 7:  Box Noggin (rubric)

• Finish drawing/coloring face of your chosen character

• Begin body design... color torso then begin arms and legs

  • begin cutting and assembling your character... head should be attached to torso and move

Grade 8: String Bridge (rubric)

• Finish assembling your bridge and test support system

  • create a way to raise and lower

• Create background for the bridge... have 3-dimensional components

Friday 

PBSIS Kickoff

• each period will be specialized with an activity... ALL DAY EVENT