Project Lead The Way has been taking place at Bryant since the end of January. In Kindergarten, we have been studying structure and function and the Engineering Design Process. In one of our first activities, we read the fairy tale, "Jack and the Beanstalk", and then students were given the task of building the tallest beanstalk that could stand on its own using only 10 pipe cleaners. We had a lot of great beanstalks in a variety of heights!

Next in the unit we read the fairy tale, "The 3 Little Pigs", and then students worked together in pairs to build a house out of either toothpicks (straw), popsicle sticks (sticks), and bricks. They had to make it sturdy enough to stay standing when a strong wind from a fan blew on the house. (We called it the "Big Bad Fan"!)

Our last project in the unit included designing a paintbrush that would make thick lines, thin lines, and dots. Students again worked in partners to follow the Engineering Design Process to explore different ways to build this paintbrush and then test it out by painting with it. They also presented their designs to the class and explained whether or not it did what they wanted it to do.