Katie Nowak and Xanthe Charov created a new engineering unit for first and second-grade students this year.
Their unit began to take shape in planning as they reflected on their essential question: How do individuals contribute to their communities? Each class began the unit by asking specifically, how do engineers contribute to their communities?
First, students brainstormed who engineers are and what they might do!
Students in teams built the tallest structure they could out of newspaper and tape and created bridges out of paper that could hold many, many pennies!
Mike Matthes, an FSP parent and foreman for Warren Construction, gave a tour of FSP. Mike was the foreman on both of our school building projects and was able to give great insight into how our home was built and who built it.
Mike Matthes, Warren Construction, sharing about how our school was built and who built it with Katie and Aila’s 1-2 Class.
The City of Portland provided virtual tours of the Sewage Treatment plants and the recent Veranda Street Bridge Project.
Over two weeks, students participated in a number of “think like inventors” activities. Special guest engineers held “take-apart,” “build-it,” and “what else could this be used for” activities. We’ve never seen so many creative ways to use a whisk: a reading lamp holder, and a hanger to name a few!
The unit incorporated measurements, money, data-mapping into their social studies and writing units. And concluded with a family event - the Invention Convention!
Students were asked to solve problems in response to the question “What Bugs You?” Here are a few of the incredibly creative solutions:
