This week the students have been learning to code on the computers.  Just like building a bridge last week, they need to place blocks in the correct order to make the computer perform a task.

Check it out at http://code.org

After looking at how the Mackinac Bridge was engineered, and a few other bridges around the world, the students were excited to work together to construct one with their group.  Most of the bridges built were able to support a toy car easily.

The students were challenged to support a heavy book with a single sheet of paper.  After folding and testing many different prisms, and other original ideas, we found the cylinder was the only shape that was strong enough to hold up the book.  I guess that’s why trees, flag poles, and even our tables in the classroom are built with cylinders!

The students watched other kids test this after they tried it first.  Click on the link below if you’d like to see too.

http://wgvu.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.mfe.zcolumnsi/columns-finding-the-strongest-shape/

Cylinder

The first week of STEM we learned that it takes working together to accomplish our goal.  While the students learned quickly, they figured out that each member of their group needed to pull their own string to make the cup move.  Then they needed to collaborate to move the cups to the right spot in order to build a tower. Together we learn, together we lead.