Kindergarten STEM project - January edition

Get ready to slide into science! Our junior engineers are taking on the Great Sled Challenge, where they’ll design and build custom ramps to see whose sled can travel the farthest across the finish line. By experimenting with different materials and slopes, students will explore the basics of physics—specifically how the height of their ramp changes the distance their sled travels. We’ll be grabbing our rulers to measure every record-breaking jump, turning our classroom into a winter laboratory of gravity, friction, and high-speed fun!

STEM Concepts We're Exploring

Gravity: Learning what pulls the sled down the hill.

Slope: Seeing if a steeper ramp makes a faster ride.

Measurement: Using tools to track height (inches/cm) and distance (feet/meters).

The Great Turkey Takeover

This week, I had the opportunity to work with our 2nd grade students and staff as we dove into the three-hour "Great Turkey Takeover," a festive and engaging unit that covered essential academic skills while celebrating the spirit of the holiday. We started in the cafeteria as a whole grade for an introduction to the day.

The highlight was a thrilling STEM challenge: students worked collaboratively to design and engineer protective structures on the farm, using critical thinking and problem-solving to ensure Tom the Turkey would be safe from an upcoming storm.

The students also practiced real-world financial literacy with "Turkey Math," tackling budgeting and money counting as they "shopped" for Thanksgiving feast items. Tying everything together, the students demonstrated true appreciation through a dedicated gratitude practice, crafting personalized thank you notes to show our deep thanks for the hard work of our school staff, including our custodians, office team, nurse, and curriculum coordinators.

STEM in Kindergarten

In our kindergarten classes, our students engage in hands-on STEM activities. In March, we had the challenge of constructing bridges capable of supporting a cup filled with shiny pennies. Armed with colorful pipe cleaners, clay, and an abundance of creativity, these budding engineers delved into the realms of science, technology, engineering, and math. With giggles and determination, they experimented with different designs, applying basic principles of balance and stability. Through trial and error, they learned the importance of structural integrity and problem-solving, all while fostering a love for STEM that will undoubtedly shape their future endeavors. As their bridges took shape, so did their confidence, as they celebrated each success and embraced each setback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Indeed, in our classrooms, the foundations of innovation are being laid, one cup of pennies at a time.