Use tools and technology to assist with science and engineering investigations.
”If the squirrel comes down from the tree this way, we can trap him under here!" exclaims six-year-old Elliott. The playground equipment sits empty as Elliott, Harper, and their fellow "squirrel trappers" gather at the base of a towering oak tree in our neighborhood park. The children have long been captivated by this venerable old […]
It all began with a concert ticket. More specifically, a ticket to a concert on the Ben Folds Paper Airplane Request Tour 2024. During these concerts, Ben Folds—an Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer—encourages fans in the audience to send their song requests to the stage via paper airplanes. To ensure that the planes carrying my song requests would […]
“Would it be okay if I took this sunflower apart?" asks Mia, pointing to a vase of week-old cut flowers. "It's kind of droopy anyway." “Sure," I respond, remembering that Mia is our "Concoction Queen" with a penchant for creating potions packed with flower petals. "Are you going to make another one of your magic […]
“If you wiggle your hands like this, you can make lots and lots of bubbles!" exclaims Hudson. "Watch!” Piper and Hudson are elbow deep in a tub of water, splashing about happily as they investigate cause and effect in a moment of playful learning. Science begins with curiosity, which leads to discovery and exploration. Learning science […]
In this lesson, the children will observe different HEXBUGS to predict how they might move through a block maze.
In this lesson, children will design and build models of treehouses.
In this lesson children will experiment with a simple lever setup to see if they can lift a heavy object off of the floor with just one finger.
In this lesson, children will use a variety of open-ended materials to create engineering designs of houses and then construct and test their designs.
In this lesson, children will take the Pipe Cleaner Tower Challenge and compete to see who can build the tallest freestanding tower with 15 pipe cleaners.
In this lesson, children will learn that designing a skyscraper involves choosing the best materials and arranging them in the best way to keep the structure stable as it grows taller and taller.