DCS STEM Class

Our fourth grade students have spent the past few weeks learning and experimenting with several key concepts in computer programming -- sequencing, loops, and conditionals. When coding in Scratch, we've been working to create "logical sequences" that will have the computer execute our actions in an order that makes sense and helps to tell the story of our animation. ---   Click to View a Student Sample of Loops Here's a look under the hood at the Scratch code for this project: ---

After completing their Technology Take Apart projects, students in the 7th and 8th grade spent time experimenting with LittleBits electronics and Makey Makey kits. The Makey Makey, shown below in the banana piano photo and video clips, is a tool that engages students in physical computing and offers endless possibilities for using physical items to provide input to a computer.

This week, kindergarten classes learned about skyscrapers and the two major challenges architects and engineers face when designing and building these tall structures -- creating a sturdy foundation that can support the weight of the structure and developing a design that takes into account strong wind. In the lab, students built their own skyscrapers and then tested their resilience against a stream of "wind" from a hair dryer. In the process, students also practiced our STEM mindset of digging into mistakes and using information from a failed attempt to improve their designs.

Students in first and second grade spent their week in the STEM lab working on a series of challenges that required them to combine engineering and programming skills. We also practiced two of our STEM mindsets -- Imagine Possibilities and Embrace Challenges. Check out some photos and two videos from their work!