First Graders Design, Create Scientific Tools
Earlier this year, first graders in Ms. Gibson’s homeroom read the book What is a Scientist? by Barbara Lehn. Based on their reading, students became scientists and created their own tools to measure, sort, and carry out experiments. First, they made a plan describing their new tool and its function. Then, they began sketching and listing the materials they needed. The students then started production using donated recycled materials to create all sorts of science tools, from mixers to rulers. These tools are the result of many weeks of hard work and determination. These scientists have bright futures ahead in engineering and design.
– Katie Hogan, first grade teacher
Arts Update: Special Visitor Stops by Music Class
This week in second grade music, students were treated to a visit from our resident wind ensemble director and clarinet maestro, Kristian Baverstam. Our second grade musicians have spent the last few classes exploring the world of wind instruments, investigating how they function and what kinds of music people make with them. Mr. Baverstam stopped by to give a practical demonstration, including renditions of music from Star Wars, Peter and the Wolf, and the famous Rhapsody in Blue introduction. The students were amazed to hear the range of the clarinet and were delighted to see one of their classmates try it out for the first time.
– Tyler Cotner, music teacher
Sixth Graders Learn the ‘Magic’ of Exponents
Would you rather have $50,000 or a magical $1 coin that doubles daily for 28 days? For a fun, collaborative exercise, sixth graders used their knowledge of exponents to determine how much they would get after several days to see the pattern if they chose the coin. It was determined that on day 16, the coin would surpass the $50,000. This begged the question: how much money would they get after 28 days? The answer: $268,435,456! Finding this out sparked the BDS core value of caring, as some students mentioned they would donate most of their magical coin money to charity.
– Brittany Ryan, sixth grade math teacher
Sixth and Seventh Graders Teach at STEAM Expo
The 2024 STEAM Expo was a major success. The STEAM Expo aims to provide students with an opportunity to share about the engineering design process and the ways iteration plays a role in solving a problem. In the sixth grade, the challenge was to identify an earth science topic of personal interest and create a museum-style exhibit that teaches others about that topic. In seventh grade, students designed and built LEGO robots to represent one of Newton’s Laws of Motion. Students learned how to code their robots using LEGO Spike Prime and Scratch block coding. At the STEAM Expo students showcased their work making connections between Newton’s Laws and moving LEGO robots or teaching about a wide range of earth science topics. Attendees enjoyed learning from our students about their process and got a glimpse into how iterative learning lives throughout the entire school in our lower school exhibit rooms. Great job, sixth and seventh graders!
– Maggie Small, seventh grade science teacher
Fourth Graders Design, Build Composters
This week, the fourth graders completed building composters using recyclable materials. This unit comes after learning about decomposition, mummification, and preservation. The previous week, students began the design engineering process by planning and designing their composters. They were challenged to design composters with an element of movement, either by rotating/spinning or removing and adding layers. Over that week, students began constructing their composters and by this week they had completed their projects. The students came up with various special features, such as designing composters that roll on the ground, attaching brass fasteners to allow rotation of the compost container, and using cardboard as a stand. Next week, students will present their projects to their classmates and share their creations.
–Madison Dick, associate teacher
