For Educators
We are the champions of play.
Play isn’t killing time. It’s creating character.
Everything we want from our children is already in them. And play is how they unlock it.
For Educators
We are the champions of play.
Play isn’t killing time. It’s creating character.
Everything we want from our children is already in them. And play is how they unlock it.
Bot Creation
This lesson is based on the story “Dylan and The Magical Robot”. Dylan Is creative boy who loves to draw. One day, he draws the most magnificent robot that comes to life! The student’s eyes light up throughout the whole story and they are even more excited when they realize that they get the chance to draw and bring to life their very own robot! This is a great lesson for students to be able to participate in a hands-on engineering activity while being able to connect in common core writing standards.
From Sheep to Sweater
Where do the materials we use to make goods or products come from? How are they made? What is the process?
The materials we use to make goods come from resources in our world and in our community. Some materials come from plants, animals, the earth. We use the resources in our community to make materials to make goods or commodities to buy and sell in markets.
Let’s Study Seeds
With this activity students will talk about and compare the size of the seeds, the color of the seeds and quantity of the seeds. Students will make fruit and veggie collages that represent the seeds they chose.
Go With The Flow
Go with the Flow introduces students to the properties of water. They will utilize no-cost materials to work with their peers, families, and teachers to design and create a water slide that uses gravity to move a toy from the beginning of the slide to a pool at the end.
Catch Me If You Can!
The Leprechaun is on the loose! Let your creativity shine as you write a step by step plan and put your plans into action to build a trap to catch a Leprechaun! As engineers, you will approach the design process using everyday household items to create an inviting masterpiece. Then WHALA! the Leprechaun will come visit, find himself trapped leaving behind all of his gold, and allow you the great opportunity of practice setting up an experiment and testing your trap.
Dirt Detectives
Let us be dirt detectives and explore what is on the top layer of dirt and what lies underneath our dirt! Students will listen to a read-aloud about dirt or soil’s role in growing plants. Then, as dirt detectives they will individually or in pairs investigate and record what is on the surface of a small plot of land. Next, they will dig down into the dirt and observe what is underneath.
Growing Shadows
In this lesson, students will explore light and shadows by experimenting with flashlights. This challenge encourages using light to change the size and possibly shape of shadows. In this lesson, using only a flashlight, tape and some small blocks, students try to position the light behind the object in such a way that the shadow grows to at least the height of the tape on the wall. The children may experiment with keeping the blocks on a predestined spot on the floor or varying the building location on the floor.
Colorful Shadows
A shadow is caused by an object blocking light so that it does not reach a surface. The area in shadows appears black because there is no light falling on it. It appears dark. In fact, most shadows are not totally black because light usually bounces around and off objects. What happens when 3 colors combine to make a background white? How does the light change the shadow of an object?
A-Maze-ing Challenges
In this lesson, students build a WATER DROP MAZE using no-cost materials and challenge peers, parents and teachers to make it to the end without their drop of water falling off or falling in. Mazes support the development of spatial thinking, important to understanding math and rely on trial and error and executive function to test and then remember which paths do NOT lead to the exit. And this particular maze also allows for experimenting with water and friction resistance.