Can you believe we have started third quarter? That means we are halfway through the school year — ahhh! We have learned SO much but still have SO much left to do! 

About a week ago we wrapped up our Rube Goldberg projects. We (teachers and students) were so proud of the completed contraptions! We ended the unit by inviting teachers and students to view our work, ask questions and provide feedback. Overall it was a really successful unit in many ways. Students continued to build capacity as teammates, we developed our documentation skills and had tons of fun! You can view photos here. 

It will be difficult to top the learning experiences we’ve had so far — but we are confident that third and fourth quarter will be incredible. We are beyond excited to start our next ETC activity! With Home Depot Saturday kid workshops as our inspiration, the students will be participating in a Maker Fair! 

Students will be choosing something (a project, a DIY activity, art, etc.) that he/she would like to learn how to make. Next, they will research a variety of ways to make it and create a project proposal to initiate the purchase of materials needed. After successfully completing the project, the kids will create written tutorials and ready-to-go kits so that others can recreate their newly learned skill. Ah, this is so exciting! 

This Wednesday students will test out the kits we’ve designed as examples. I learned how to make string art, Gev. McAdam’s created a dog toy and Gev. Noorlander learned how to make succulent planters. We can’t wait to share photos!