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Zoom into the Body Students work collaboratively to place models of different body parts where they think each one belongs. | Bones Kinder students know that our bones are designed to help support the body, protect our internal organs, and our bones work with our muscles to bring about movement. | Muscles Students enjoyed manipulating the model arm to watch the stretchy interaction of the muscle (the rubber bands) and bone (the cardboard pieces.) |
Zoom into the Body
Students work collaboratively to place models of different body parts where they think each one belongs.
Bones
Kinder students know that our bones are designed to help support the body, protect our internal organs, and our bones work with our muscles to bring about movement.
Muscles
Students enjoyed manipulating the model arm to watch the stretchy interaction of the muscle (the rubber bands) and bone (the cardboard pieces.)
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Sound Travels Students learn that vibrating materials make sound, and that sound can make materials vibrate. | Sun Trackers 1st grade scientists observe and describe patterns of the Sun by building sun tracker devices using clay and straws to collect data over a period of time. | Patterns of the Moon Students create a diagram that shows how light from the sun reflects off the moon and into our eyes. |
Sound Travels
Students learn that vibrating materials make sound, and that sound can make materials vibrate.
Sun Trackers
1st grade scientists observe and describe patterns of the Sun by building sun tracker devices using clay and straws to collect data over a period of time.
Patterns of the Moon
Students create a diagram that shows how light from the sun reflects off the moon and into our eyes.
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Rosie's Runtime 2nd graders work in collaborative groups to build programming skills needed to be successful such as putting steps in the correct order and giving complete instructions before they begin programming on Scratch Jr. | Repeating Rosie Students take turns playing the part of a robotic dog. The other students in the group send the dog through a maze by making a sequence of instructions out of playing cards. Watch out for bugs in the program and fix them! | Moving with Math After programming a scorekeeper in Scratch Jr, students use it to keep track of points while playing a math game called Rolling Sums. We are ready to program our own game! |
Rosie's Runtime
2nd graders work in collaborative groups to build programming skills needed to be successful such as putting steps in the correct order and giving complete instructions before they begin programming on Scratch Jr.
Repeating Rosie
Students take turns playing the part of a robotic dog. The other students in the group send the dog through a maze by making a sequence of instructions out of playing cards. Watch out for bugs in the program and fix them!
Moving with Math
After programming a scorekeeper in Scratch Jr, students use it to keep track of points while playing a math game called Rolling Sums. We are ready to program our own game!
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Introduction to Forces In their Launch Logs, 3rd grade students show evidence of a push or a pull, and then they add the labels of effort and resistance forces to their sketches. | Simple Machines A simple machine is a device that makes the work seem easier. Students work in a team to build four basic types of simple machines using VEX IQ components. | Lever A lever is a simple machine that moves a load around a fulcrum, the pivot point, using a force. Students investigate what happens when they change the position of the fulcrum. |
Introduction to Forces
In their Launch Logs, 3rd grade students show evidence of a push or a pull, and then they add the labels of effort and resistance forces to their sketches.
Simple Machines
A simple machine is a device that makes the work seem easier. Students work in a team to build four basic types of simple machines using VEX IQ components.
Lever
A lever is a simple machine that moves a load around a fulcrum, the pivot point, using a force. Students investigate what happens when they change the position of the fulcrum.
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Pass the Input Students love to play games, especially ones with the goal of identifying similarities between a computer system and a human body and how input/processing/output differs. | Binary Messages Computers can only store two distinct values: 0 and 1. Students practice with the most commonly used format, ASCII, to decode secret messages, and then they send one to a friend to deepen their decoding skills. | Image Representation 4th graders use Run Length Encoding to encode their own image and then they exchange their codes with a friend to see if they can recreate their image. If they can't, keep trying! |
Pass the Input
Students love to play games, especially ones with the goal of identifying similarities between a computer system and a human body and how input/processing/output differs.
Binary Messages
Computers can only store two distinct values: 0 and 1. Students practice with the most commonly used format, ASCII, to decode secret messages, and then they send one to a friend to deepen their decoding skills.
Image Representation
4th graders use Run Length Encoding to encode their own image and then they exchange their codes with a friend to see if they can recreate their image. If they can't, keep trying!
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KWL 5th graders express what they already "Know" about robots and what they are "Wondering" or "Want" to know. After conducting research, students add evidence of what they "Learned" to the chart. | Robot Research Students dive into robot research on the internet to learn the purpose of robots, how they work, and if they have any special sensors or software. Working in groups, students also determine the problems their robots were designed to solve. | Roboticists 5th graders become roboticists and apply what they learned from their research to design their own special type of robot. Their creativity shines in their quick sketches of their ideas as they identified the specific type of robot and what it will be able to do. |
KWL
5th graders express what they already "Know" about robots and what they are "Wondering" or "Want" to know. After conducting research, students add evidence of what they "Learned" to the chart.
Robot Research
Students dive into robot research on the internet to learn the purpose of robots, how they work, and if they have any special sensors or software. Working in groups, students also determine the problems their robots were designed to solve.
Roboticists
5th graders become roboticists and apply what they learned from their research to design their own special type of robot. Their creativity shines in their quick sketches of their ideas as they identified the specific type of robot and what it will be able to do.
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Mechanisms 6th graders are experts at building several different mechanisms that are used to change speed, torque, force, type of movement, and direction of movement. Students also discover how mechanisms are used in the world today. | Crank & Slider Students build an example of a crank and slider mechanism (most commonly used in a steam train.) A pivot pin near the outside edge of a wheel changes reciprocating motion into rotary motion. | Belt & Pulley The belt and pulley mechanism transmits power between shafts by means of a belt connecting pulleys on the shafts. The open belt moves in the same direction, where a crossed belt moves in the opposite direction. |
Mechanisms
6th graders are experts at building several different mechanisms that are used to change speed, torque, force, type of movement, and direction of movement. Students also discover how mechanisms are used in the world today.
Crank & Slider
Students build an example of a crank and slider mechanism (most commonly used in a steam train.) A pivot pin near the outside edge of a wheel changes reciprocating motion into rotary motion.
Belt & Pulley
The belt and pulley mechanism transmits power between shafts by means of a belt connecting pulleys on the shafts. The open belt moves in the same direction, where a crossed belt moves in the opposite direction.
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Digital Dive Students are using the Digital Dive card game to learn how the parts of a computer interact and how data transfers on a computer from one hardware part to another. | Debug Programs 7th graders use debugging strategies to isolate and identify any bugs in the program in order to solve the problem. | Exploring Micro:bit Did you know you can use a banana and an orange to build a micro:bit keyboards? |
Digital Dive
Students are using the Digital Dive card game to learn how the parts of a computer interact and how data transfers on a computer from one hardware part to another.
Debug Programs
7th graders use debugging strategies to isolate and identify any bugs in the program in order to solve the problem.
Exploring Micro:bit
Did you know you can use a banana and an orange to build a micro:bit keyboards?
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Medical History Students interview each other in order to get a complete medical history before exploring possible treatments. | Lab Cultures 8th grade detectives culture E coli in the lab in order to test the effectiveness of antibiotics. | Antibiotics, Do They All Work the Same? Students compare four different antibiotics and their effectiveness against E coli. |
Medical History
Students interview each other in order to get a complete medical history before exploring possible treatments.
Lab Cultures
8th grade detectives culture E coli in the lab in order to test the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Antibiotics, Do They All Work the Same?
Students compare four different antibiotics and their effectiveness against E coli.
McPherson Magnet School
