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May 5: Family STEM Night Pics, VEX Comp May 25, Classroom activities

 



Dear Frisco Families,

Thank you so much to all of you who attended Frisco Family STEM Night Programming Party. Mr. Hansen shared some coding activities for the younger students, and students demonstrated coding using a Sphero and Dash to their parents. Thank you, Eliana and Elsie for leading the Sphero group (5th grade leadership!!!), and thank you, Anna for sharing your video game and circuit board (Makey Makey).

Three teams decided they would like to modify and compete at our next VEX competition on May 25 at Summit Cove. They are excited and trying to figure out how best to adjust their robots.

Kindergarten is doing Lego challenges and programming Beebots this week. Last week, they used construction paper and tape to create rollercoasters for other kids to try.

1st Grade made pinwheels and did a coding center using code.org. Last week, we finished our sound builds where we used the decibel setting on my phone to test how well they were able to keep sound vibrations out.

2nd Grade finished their pollinators, and they really thought carefully about how the structure of a bee would help them make something mechanical that could pollinate if pollinators went extinct. Following that, Mrs. Sodetz's class is working with our new Lego Robotics kits while Mrs. Robinson's class does coding. We will switch, when I see the kids again in a few weeks.

3rd and 5th grade students are finishing their green screen videos. These are posted in the student Google Classroom, and you can ask your child to take you there to show you. One of my favorite parts was watching student reactions when we caused them to be floating in an ocean or hanging out on a baseball field. They grew their collaborative skills and their technology skills.

4th graders have been doing a bunch of things. Oberheide's class has started their lazy feeder build challenge. They need to get a lifesaver candy to their mouths without picking them up. Okes' class is just getting started on this design challenge.

All photos are separated into folders here: May 5 STEM Activities

The kids will have music for the next few weeks, and we will hit STEM again May 22. I look forward to working with 5th graders on their Exhibition projects!

Sincerely,

Jen Mortensen

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