4th&5th Grade Makers and 3rd Grade programmers!

3D Printing with 5th Graders:

This week students designed little ball&maze trinket toys.  They used SketchUp to design their maze.  We printed them on a MakerBot, cut up silver clasp Ball chains (which we measured with a pair of calipers to size the maze), and used transparencies for the cover.  Many of them worked perfectly.  Many wanted to improve upon their design.  Way to go little mini-makers!

Make your own X-Box controller with 4th Graders:

These guys learned how to build buttons on a piece of cardboard fashioned in the style of an X-Box controller.  Students used a Makey-Makey kit to connect it all together and Scratch for the programming.  They created a very simple 2-player Maze game to test their controller out on.  On the last day, they played head-to-head matches with each other.  One week was definitely not enough time.  Game on!

Mini Programmers with 3rd Grade:

Students learned how to program sensors using LegoWeDo.  By the end of the week, students were programming their own cars, catapults, and trap-doors.  Everything was documented in their GoogleDrive accounts.  We are developing programmers!

K-5 STEM/Technology Activities for Jan-Feb 2014

Image: Emily Haddon

CHVE Technology

What STEM activities are students doing at CHVE?  Each month, come here to take a peek.  Visit our tools: CHVE Links.

TO DOWNLOAD THE BEST MATH FACT PRACTICE ON THE PLANET, CLICK HERE (free for CHVE students)!

PARENTS: Visit this fantastic site that reviews movies, games/apps, and promotes responsible use of technology at home.

Best free app: LightBot.  This was part of a constellation of experiences where 1st-5th interacted with the fundamentals of coding.



For the months of: Jan-Feb, 2014

Kindies - Through Education City, students were scored on the their ability to complete a variety of math concepts.  Education City: click here to gain access at home.

1st Grade

1st Grader, Marley, documented her Lego Contraptions

• Dance Mat Mondays!
• Education City: Students were asked to solve a variety of math problems. Click here to gain access at home.
• Using Lego's, students learned about Gears and Friction to create a wind-powered car.  The unit culminated in a car-race.  Things got loud...you may have heard us.  Students documented their work using Wixie. 

2nd Grade

• Dance Mat Mondays! 
• Through Code.org, 2nd graders interacted with the basic concepts of coding.
• Students created their own Comic Strips by using Presentation inside their GoogleDrive accounts.  Students learned some basics in graphic design and being responsible with public documents. 

3rd Grade

• Students begin class practicing typing at Dance Mat or TypingClub.  They must have their hands covered with a paper towel.  Our goal by the end of 5th Grade is to type 20 words per minute with 90% accuracy.
• Using Lego's (bottom, left clip in YouTube video), students learned about the effect of gears and pulley systems on their contraptions.
• Students created their own Comic Strip (See Ex) through the Presentation App inside their GoogleDrive accounts.  Students learned some basics in graphic design and being responsible with public documents. 

4th Grade 

• Students begin class practicing typing at Dance Mat or TypingClub.  They must have their hands covered with a paper towel.  The goal by the end of 5th Grade is to type 20 words per minute with 90% accuracy.
• Through Code.org, 4th graders interacted with the basic concepts of coding.
• Using Scratch, students started to build their own video games (student ex here).  Students learn how to create one of 4 types of games: Pong, Maze, Car Chase or Drawing.

5th Grade

• Typing at Dance Mat or TypingClub.  Hands are covered with a paper towel.  If they pass the test (type 20 words per minute with 90% accuracy), they are on the wall of fame.  Currently there are 20 Fifth Graders at this level.
• Through Code.org, 4th graders interacted with the basic concepts of coding.
• Lego Robotics!  Students created Lego structures (top and bottom left in clip above) which required simple programming to perform creative tasks from local software.
• Using Scratch, students started to build their own video games (student ex here). Students began learning how to create one of 4 types of games: Pong, Maze, Car Chase or Drawing.

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