Back to School 2015-2016

Making friends while we create patterns!

We are kicking the year off to a great start in STEAM class!  We are busy diving into some quick Engineering Challenges, learning how to work in teams, and learning how to be successful in our classroom. Students are showing me their problem solving skills and so far it is really impressive!  Our goals during this unit are to learn how to fail; to learn how to start again after failure; to learn strategies for overcoming frustration; and to learn that if you are not making mistakes sometimes, you are not challenging yourself enough.  I am a big believer in allowing students to make mistakes so that they can learn from them.  I want your children to do a little more than what they think they can do--whether that is specific to an engineering project or with just following classroom expectations, I think they can all meet their challenges head on.  I am so proud of what they have accomplished so far!  Here are a few photos of the progress in the first couple of weeks.

Working together to build something to solve a problem.

If they work together, their marble tower can be even bigger!

Let the Engineering Challenges begin!

They are ready for the first challenge!

Building together can be difficult, but the reward is huge!

She is ready for the first challenge!

They are ready for the first pages of their Engineering Challenges book!

They worked together to make it really complex!

Engineering Challenge book is ready for pages!

The cup challenge requires a lot of tenacity!

Marble challenge is more fun with friends.

She is ready to learn more about Architecture.

Diving into some circuits!

Marble challenge with an air guitar.

Symmetric and creative!

Engineering challenges let us learn how to fail and try again.

Ready for the first challenge!

We cheer mistakes because they are an opportunity to learn!

Circuits are fun!

The result of our first Fairy Tale Engineering Challenge!

They made creative friends and places for our Fairy Tale Chameleon.

Our Fairy Tale Engineering Challenge

She made a friend for the chameleon in our first Fairy Tale Engineering Challenge!