Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 1, Engineering Design (Lewis) (1st-2nd)
Our first day with Engineering Design got our week started with lots of new learning! Students started with learning our class rules and how they can earn Flex Points throughout the week. Students will earn Flex Points when they ‘flex their intellect’ and make connections with their learning. Our goal is to beat the points total from the day before. We will celebrate all our ‘flexes’ on Friday.
Our engineering design week is based on a story called Javier Builds a Bridge. We read the story throughout the day and learned how Javier and his family redesigned a bridge that was not working. We discovered that engineers, like civil engineers who design bridges, create and use technology. We defined technology as anything created to solve a problem or meet a need. Ask your kiddo if a Band-Aid is technology and see what they say!
We also learned many new terms today, including some science vocabulary. We know that engineers use science to help them understand and develop their designs. We discussed forces, motion, mass, and gravity. We also learned that Sir Isaac Newton discovered 3 Laws of Motion. We will focus on one of the laws of motion tomorrow.
Finally, our class explored 3 types of bridges: suspension, arch, and beam. The students will continue to learn throughout the week the characteristics of each type of bridge and will connect how the laws of motion integrate with bridge design. Students were able to explore designing their own types of bridges with different materials and adding art into our engineering with pendulums and symmetry in STEAM Stations. They will do one station per day Monday to Thursday.
It’s going to be a great week, and we are enjoying getting to know our students!
Mrs. Lewis and Ms. Sharon