WeDo Giants

Did you know that even before electricity was invented, people were imagining "robots"? Stories in Greek mythology refer to a giant Metal monster named Talos who protected the island of Crete. Today third graders designed their own giant and programmed it to scare away possible attackers. Some students even had a chance to add motion sensors. Check out their work - if you dare.

WeDo ArtBots 2.0

Fourth graders had a very challenging engineering task today! They designed a robot that can be programmed to create art. There were no plans to follow - they used their knowledge of gears and Lego mechanics in order to build a unique robot. We actually focused on our mistakes today and used what didn't work to figure out and re-design. Check out our "reflect and re-design" projects by watching the video!

Vibrobots!

Fourth graders really had an "educationally amusing" challenge! We definitely had to have a growth mindset by figuring out what wouldn't work in order to get things to work! After all, we are hear to learn from our attempts! Students engineered robots out of some basic materials. The question this science experiment asked was "How does changing the counterweight on the motor effect the performance of the robot?" Most predicted a balanced weight (3 cm) would create the best performance (art). Watch the robot performances as they create art with the counterbalance at 1 cm, 3 cm, and 5.5 cm.

Mindset Matters!

This year one of the topics our classes have really been focusing on developing a growth mindset! We have been specifically learning about the difference between fixed and growth mindsets as well as appreciating a challenge, learning from failure growth opportunities, and being inspired by others. Check out this short video to hear thoughts of some of the students in the 3rd and 4th grades about mindset. They are unrehearsed candid responses.

Valentiny Express

3rd graders have a design challenge for to prepare for the busy Valentine season! They need to design a balloon-powered vehicle that can carry candy hearts quickly to their destination. Check out the pictures and videos of them working together to problem-solve.They are ready to design and re-design to make this work! Way to have a growth-mindset!

Building a Growth Mindset

Today, after an introduction to Growth Mindset, 3rd graders practiced learning from failure and celebrating and learning from the success of others. Their challenge was to create the tallest tower they could using limited materials. The kids were so engaged and concentrating so much - you could hear a pin drop during construction phases. Check out their towers in the video below.

Fred Sails Around the World!

Fred learned from his mistake! Now he always wears a life preserver around water! Fred has decided to sail around the world. Watch the video to see his big adventure! BEHIND THE SCENES EXCLUSIVE! Check out our third graders hard at work preparing Fred for his journey. To be successful they showed problem-solving skills, collaboration, attention to detail, and creativity as they build, modified, and programmed our Lego WeDo robots.