STEM projects that we have done this year include:
1. Pencil Tower- Students had to plan, design, and construct a tower only using pencils. They made predictions of how tall their tower would be and recorded the data.
2. Piggy's House of Cards- Students worked in groups to plan, design and construct a house that will stand up to the big bad wolf. They were only given 20 index cards and 12 inches of masking tape, they couldn't have more!
3. Leaf People Project- Selena Aguilar with Grand Island Clean Community System came in to teach the kids about recycling. Students picked up a variety of leaves outside and created leaf people!
4. Pumpkin Olympics- Students first had to build a pumpkin launching catapult. Then we had a Pumpkin Catapult Olympics. There were 6 stations to go to.
-
Go the Distance- launch your pumpkin the farthest
-
Hit the Target- make your pumpkin hit the target
-
Great Heights- launch your pumpkin over a stack of books
-
Tower Topple- launch your pumpkin and knock over as many cups as you can
-
Score a Bucket- launch your pumpkin into a bucket
-
Hoop Shoot- launch your pumpkin through the hula hoop
5. Thanksgiving Projects-
-
Rain Sticks- Kids made rain sticks to simulate the sound of rain
-
Buffalo Hides- They used paper bags for their buffalo hide and put Native American symbols on it to write a story.
6. Virtual Field Trip with Morrill Hall
-
Animals in the Hall- Students got to take a virtual field trip with Morrill Hall to see the Nebraska animals in the hall. Also they got to feel animal hides and see what they eat.
-
Steady as a Rock- Students get to investigate the 3 types of rocks.
7. Sewing Unit- students learned how to thread a needle and do very basic sewing projects. They made a tic-tac-toe game, stuffed gingerbread man, and a bookmark.
8. Art Unit- students were able to do water color paintings and tempera paintings to make winter scenes. The kids love to do art projects!
9. Rock Unit- students experienced an escape room with a focus on rocks! We also made edible geodes with different kids of candy.
10. Space Unit- students were able to work in groups to create a poster on a specific planet. They created their very own marshmallow constellation with marshmallows and toothpicks. Also did another escape room with a focus on the planets.
11. Rainforest Unit- Students learned about the different layers in the rainforest, researched an animal and made a rainforest diorama. They loved creating their own diorama and being able to use their creativity!
12. Butterfly Unit- The kids watched and recorded the life cycle of a butterfly. This was a great experience for the kids! They loved watching the process and seeing them change constantly. We let them go right after Easter Break.
