When Literature Meets Engineering

Franklin students were busy building, testing, and revising during their recent Library Days STEM Challenges. Each grade level's challenge was based on a story read to them during library storytime. Our school was the recipient of a governor's STEM Scale-Up Award which provided many of the supplies needed for these great activities.

Second graders read the book The Lady with a Ship on Her Head. Their challenge was to design and create a headpiece device that was sturdy enough to carry a plastic ship.

Third graders read the book The School Bus Driver From the Black Lagoon. Their challenge was to design and build a wind-powered car.

Fourth graders read the book Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip. Their challenge was to use circuit building materials to create something that lights up.

Fourth graders demonstrated the components of their circuit and how their device worked using the video tool of the Seesaw app. They can be viewed here.

QR Codes Enhance Literacy Time

Young readers in Mrs. Malin's first grade classroom enjoy listening to audio books during literacy time. Listening to reading exposes children to rich language and quality literature in order to build vocabulary and comprehension skills. 

Students scan QR codes using their class ipads in order to access a wide variety of stories. Teachers can easily convert any web link URL into a QR code which can be printed and displayed in the classroom.

Spheros in Science

Recently students spent time working with the Spheros in Science class.  The challenge was to program the Sphero to navigate a maze.  The students practiced the basics of programming, then worked on some speed and distance trials.  They collected the data from the trials before attempting to program the Sphero. Once the students began the programming, they used their data and trial and error to navigate the course.  The students recorded the distance reached.  They continued to adjust their programming to see if they could lengthen the distance their Sphero traveled.  The students used the principals of engineering, programming, critical thinking, collaborate and communication throughout this unit.

Geometric Scenes with Google Drawing

Third graders in Mr. Lester's class practiced geometry with Google Drawing as they created figures made of specific geometric shapes. Adding photos for the background made the scenes complete!

Digital Storytelling: HS Tech Student Leading the Way

One student on the Boone High tech team has been working hard on integrating technology into the classroom.  With the cooperation of a Boone Middle School teacher, she had that opportunity.  Sixth grade students wrote a personal narrative and then with Katelyn's instruction and guidance, they took one section of that narrative and created a digital story using Scratch. This project allowed students to use their creativity, promoted collaboration, and enhanced critical thinking skills. With Katelyn's goal of being a teacher, what a great experience for her and the middle school students.

STEM Challenges

Boone elementary students enjoyed completing STEM challenges recently. They designed, built, and tested structures with some fun themes. This involved lots of trial and error as students worked together to revise their designs and improve their inventions.

Students in Mrs. Boekman's class built a vehicle for an Elf on a Shelf.

First graders in Mrs. Malin's class were given a mystery bag of recycled supplies and had to create an ornament that could be hung on a tree. 

First graders in Mrs. Carter's class designed and constructed a Christmas tree from pipe cleaners that could stand alone. They recorded their reflections and saved them to their Seesaw portfolios.

Second graders in Mrs. Cook's class designed and built sleds for the Grinch. The sleds had to be able to pull a load of blocks up an incline. Students recorded reflections of their building process using the Seesaw app on their ipads.

Students in Mrs. Caruth's 2nd grade class designed and built snowman houses that had to be constructed from 2-D and 3-D shapes they'd recently learned about in math.

Mrs. Swanson's and Mrs. McPartland's 2nd-grade classes built traps that could catch and hold a gingerbread man. They had to be sturdy enough to pass a toss-test to their partner.

After reading the stories, The Most Magnificent Thing and Rosie Revere, Engineer, third graders in Mrs. Viau's class created a useful invention using only a given number of materials in their mystery bag.

After reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, 4th graders in Mrs. Kubik's class designed and created a transport system for the rats to move a cinderblock.

Digital Presenters

The past week students at Boone Middle School have had presenters from Thailand and Colorado via the use of technology.  Technology has allowed Boone students to have opportunities that they would not have had before.

In Ms. Leeds's class, students had a chance to learn about Thailand by visiting with Mr. Leeds while he was working in Thailand via Facetime. Students learned about the agriculture there, as well as every day life. They asked questions and Mr. Leeds shared his experiences with them.

The eighth graders just finished reading the book HERO by S.L. Rottman.  They were fortunate to be able to participate in a question and answer session with S.L. Rottman via Google Hangout.  Ms. Rottman answered students' questions about her book and she shared her experience as a writer with them.