STEM: Pulling Penny the Polar Bear

The students completed our most complex STEM challenge of the year when we began researching the weight of polar bears. The challenge continued with students viewing selected videos on pulley systems, followed by project designs to build a pulley driven tool which would elevate a polar bear to the top of the mountain.  All groups were very successful with the challenge, despite the limited amount of duct tape that was available in the 21CLL.

Below are a few action photos of students working on their designed creations.

This pulley was great engineering, with the full loop pulley being used.

This group decided to use a ramp in their system.

The team problem solved a setback with the varying heights of their tubes.

More from the full loop pulley group.

This was a very successful group which used a system which included a balanced seat for Penny.

This group persevered by building, video taping, and then rebuilding for another run when the video was accidentally deleted. Always learning. Always growing!

Don't forget to check out your child's video on Seesaw.

Free Exploration in the 21st Century Learning Lab

There were multiple donors from our GMS PTO who made it possible for all children at our school to experience Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts in a lab that's right next door to our classroom.  We often go to the 21CLL with a designed application activity and purpose, where students use STEM skills after a lesson in the classroom.  The donations from our GMS PTO donors have placed building tools, snap electronics, magnetic 3D shape tools, as well as a weaving loom, and a variety of wares which we use with our STEM activities on most Fridays during the year.

On this day, we went in to have some free exploration with the donated items:

More from our 21st Century Learning Lab

Student are using something called Snap Circuits, where they connect different electrical connections to create fans, radios, lights that light up, and more!

Even a Lego table can promote creativity and opportunities to explore engineering.

Magnetic blocks help us explore 3D concepts with math.

More 3D fun, building patterned tracks for marble drops.