Fifth grade has been getting familiar with VEX Robotics Kits by working in groups to create a toy of their own design.

Fifth Graders also have been learning about inputs and outputs in a robotics system. They built a testbed that included the LED Sensor, Color Sensor, bumper switch, and 2 motors. Next, students used the remote controller and robot brain to control these devices. Students also gained practice in following procedures, as they had to read through a document that gave them the directions to connect cables and follow particular steps to interact with the sensors.

The 2016-17 school year is well underway in PLTW classrooms! Third grade has been learning about forces and they are currently building simple machines with VEX construction kits. So far, they have built a device with a wheel and axle, an inclined plane and a lever. Next up, they will be building a pulley and learning about magnetic forces. This is all in an effort to prepare them to follow the Engineering Design Process to build a compound machine that will help rescue the (toy) tiger out of the moat at the zoo!

 Students using the 3D app Inventor Publisher to build an inclined plane. Student sketch of a device that includes a wheel and axle. Students collaborate with specific job roles: iPad Keeper, Builder, Materials, Quality Control.

Second Grade PLTW

 Second graders have been working on learning how computers work. They played a game called "Rosie's Runtime" where they had to get Rosie the Robotic Dog back home by giving her exact directions in the form of command cards. Just like a computer, Rosie has to be told exactly what to do through "code", or a computer program. These are directions people give, and computers will doing nothing more and nothing less than what their program says. Students would hand their cards to "Rosie", (usually played by their classroom teacher), trying to get her home with her dog bones. If Rosie did not make it home successfully, they had a "bug" in the program and needed to go back and fix it.

 Students collaborate with each other to write the best program for Rosie to follow. She has to pick up both of her dog bones and get back home without stepping in any mud puddles!

 After 2nd graders learned that you have to give computers commands in order for them to do what you want them to, they learned how to use the app, Scratch Jr. In this app, they created a "scorekeeper". They created characters and wrote code for these characters so that they could use their project to keep score as they played a math game with a partner.

Students use the scorekeeper program they created in Scratch, Jr. so they could give themselves a point whenever they won a round of the math game. The scorekeeper included two soccer goals and a soccer ball. The winner of the math game is whichever student had the soccer ball reach their goal first!

First Grade PLTW

 First grade students in PLTW have been working on creating their own stories. They choose the characters, setting, problem, and solution. Next, they illustrate the story in their science notebooks (PLTW "Launch Logs").

 Here, a student is working very diligently on his story's illustrations.

 When students have finished sketching four scenes of their story, they get an iPad and get on an app called Scratch, Jr. In this app, they can create the backgrounds and characters in their story, and they can also write simple computer programs to make their characters move, speak, hide and come back, and many other commands. First graders make their stories come to life using computer science! It is wonderful watching students' creativity take shape while using the tools of the 21st Century!

This student is choosing blocks, or "code", to give his character directions to move.

AAPS District STEAM Expo

Ann Arbor Public Schools held the first annual District STEAM Expo Thursday, March 3, at Huron High School. Pattengill 4th grade students showcased their Engineering skills, as well as their public speaking skills! They explained to visitors how they used the Engineering Design Process in the construction of their bike pulleys and how their creations helped them solve the problem presented to them in the unit. This is only the beginning of  amazing STEAM creations coming from our students in the Bryant/Pattengill CommUNITY!

In Janice Hendrick's Pattengill Art class, 4th graders answered the question, "What would you do if you had endless energy?"  and drew amazing pictures to illustrate their creative and heartwarming responses! We merged the key concept of our Science Unit, Energy, with Art, to give students another way of expressing their ideas about this concept. 

"Engineers Never Give Up!"

Kindergarteners at Bryant were introduced to an engineering challenge this week--design and build the tallest beanstalk possible that will stand on its own out of ten pipe cleaners. We had read Jack and the Beanstalk, and for a couple of days, we had been discussing the vocabulary words "structure" and "function"in class. After reading this story, students were asked, "What was the function of Jack's beanstalk? What was the structure of Jack's beanstalk?" We noticed that the beanstalk was wider at the bottom and skinnier up at the top. We also noticed this in a picture of a very tall building that we compared to the beanstalk. Kindergarteners then used their own thoughts, ideas, and creativity to build their own beanstalks. Some struggled to make theirs stand up at first, but we repeated the mantra, "Engineers never give up!" It is so exciting to see perseverance, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking in our youngest students. With these skills, they will surely succeed throughout their schooling and in life!

Fifth Graders Build Robots and Complete Challenge

Fifth Graders built robots using a 3D app called Inventor Publisher and the VEX Robotics Kits. Then, they learned how to make the robots communicate wirelessly with their controllers. Students were also given a timed challenge to use their robots to move 3 blocks off the field in under 2 minutes. They used the Engineering Design Process to add parts to their robot that would allow them to complete this challenge successfully.