Monday, November 26, 2018

Grade 2 Prototyping with Cardboard

Second graders have been applying the Engineering and Design Process by taking a look at problems in their classroom. They brainstormed some issues they found like their iPad charging station was messy with so many cords, their desks were disorganized, their water bottles don't fit in the container, and so much more. With all of these problems, students worked in teams to design a solution that could address the issue. Students used cardboard cutting tools to design and test a prototype to solve the problem of messy and disorganized desk spaces.
Students used the Canary corrugated cardboard cutting tool to slice through cardboard.
Students learned how to safely and properly use the Worx ZipSnip cutting tool.
 





Thursday, November 15, 2018

Grade 2 Wire Art

Second graders visited the lab to continue practicing how to use various tools (wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, rasps) and many really enjoyed creating wire art!


Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Grade 2 Introduction to Woodworking

Second graders learned the purpose and functions of basic tools as they practiced their woodworking skills today. In their classroom, the teachers started off with a slow looking observation of a tool. Students drew and labeled all of the different parts of a tool, explained the purpose for that part, and indicated any wonderings they may have about that tool. In the Design Lab, students explored hammers, ratchet wrenches, hex key wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, and wood rasps. They practiced shaving/sanding wooden blocks, hammering nails into a wooden stump, bending wires of various gauges, and finding the appropriate tool for the different nuts, bolts, and screws available.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Grade 2 Sticker Making!

Second graders visited the Design Lab today and learned how to make their own hand drawn stickers. They explored the various tools and features of the Sketches School app and uploaded their designs to the Cricut Design Space app to be printed and cut. So much engagement, fun, and creativity!
Students use the various brush and color options to draw their designs.
The designs are uploaded to Cricut Design Space where we used the "Print then Cut" feature.


Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Lower School Hackers Club - Book Fair Voting Machine

The Lower School Hackers Club at 'Iolani School is brand new this year! It was started by three eager 4th graders with an interest and desire to MAKE! Their first project was to make a voting machine for our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair in the library. The idea was borrowed from this online guide: Makey Your Own Exit Ticket or Data Tracker. The LS Hackers worked together to design and create a voting machine that would allow shoppers to share what kind of book they purchased at the book fair.
Learning how to setup a Makey Makey and program it with Scratch.

Each Hacker is working on their speciality: programming, building, and drawing.
The end product turned out great! Mrs. Reser, our librarian, loved it and so did her shoppers!


The LS Hackers project was even featured on the Makey Makey blog!

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Grade 1 Mobile Project

The first graders are learning about balance. They were given various materials ranging from yarn, construction paper, rubber bands, index cards, foil, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, and bottle caps. Each pair of students worked together to design and construct a balanced mobile. We were very fortunate to have members of the volleyball team join us today!


Friday, October 5, 2018

Kindergarten Cardboard Construction

Kindergarteners had a blast using the Makedo kits to manipulate cardboard. They learned how to cut and pierce holes using the "Safe-Saw" and also attached cardboard pieces together using the "Scru" and "Scrudriver".
They were all so engaged throughout the entire process and it was amazing to watch all of their ideas unfold as they constructed their creations.