STEM Lab 24_25 Round 7... So Long, Farewell Edition

Round 7 was the last full rotation of the year, and as such, it was the last time a couple classes had STEM lab for the year. Each grade level worked on a variety of creative coding and digital making projects with Scratch Jr, Scratch, Makey Makey, and the micro:bit. As always, the creativity and originality the students displayed was truly impressive.

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Most STEM Lab units for kindergarten and 1st grade are centered on daily activities rather than multiday projects. Each day's activities are related of course, but can also stand alone. To finish the year however, both grades worked on a Scratch Jr storytelling project meant to last most of the week. First, I guided them through the process of creating an organizer for their projects. In this they drew out the beginning, middle, and end of their story they had chosen to tell. They had to sketch the settings and characters as well as draft the dialogue and movements of the characters. When the plans were complete, students started working in Scratch Jr. In most cases the students had to use the drawing tools to create the characters and settings they needed which led to a number of digital art lessons. We ended up with a beautiful variety of story projects at the end of the week. Some students chose to retell a favorite book they had read, while others decided to create an original story. 

2nd Grade

The 2nd graders continued their introduction to the full version of Scratch this round. Rather than completing a different tutorial project each day as they did in round 6, this time they planned and programmed an "about me" project. They began by planning their sprites, costume changes, and which facts they would share about themselves. The project required them to add the letters of their name as sprites and to then give each letter a costume that represented something about them. (In my example project the letter Q, when clicked, turns into a coffee cup which declares "I drink a lot of coffee" before changing back into a Q.) As they started working on the project in Scratch, they found the need to draw many of the things they wanted their letters to turn into because there was not a sprite in the library that worked. Like with Kinder and 1st grade, this facilitated a number of great teachable moments about how to best use digital drawing tools. The students have done a really wonderful job transitioning from Scratch Jr to "real" Scratch. It is a rather large step up in terms of complexity and they have handled the jump admirably. 

3rd Grade

The 3rd grade project this round is one I typically do earlier in the year, but that wasn't an option because... carts. Anyway, the project was constructing controllers for Scratch projects with cardboard, construction paper, and copper tape. The overall design of the controllers was the same for everyone, but the decorations reflected the students' wide variety of interests and ideas. Students had to construct the individual keys and board, add copper tape to each key as well as to the board, before finally assembling the pieces. While the glue dried, the students started work on a Scratch project to accompany their controller. The only rule that they had to follow was that their  Scratch project used key presses. Many students made games while others made programs that draw or play music. A few were themed around topics the group was passionate about, like travel or pollution. There were also a number of projects that would best be classified as "random silliness", which was of course fine so long as the silliness was achieved with key presses. (Mr. Banner's class did not do this project because they were doing the cardboard arcade project from round 6. They did not do it then thanks to a short week.)

4th Grade

The end of the year is usually a time when I try out new things, or try an old project with a different grade level, and that I what I did with 4th grade this round. Specifically, I had them do the "hacked art" Scratch project that 5th grade did a few rounds back. I was interested to see how they might approach the task differently than the older students, but I also just really love this project and wanted to do it again. It is always fun to see how, even when students start with the same image, they more often than not go in wildly different directions with the effects they create. For me this highlights one of the best things about Scratch: its adaptability to a wide variety of student interests and ideas. In the end, the 4th grade hacked art projects are not just more of what 5th grade did, but their own thing. You can check out all of the projects in this studio. (Ms. Aceves' class did not do this project because they were completing the musical instrument project from round 6, which they did not do then thanks to a short week.) In the sample below, click the green flag, then click on the objects in the painting.

5th Grade

The fifth grade returned to programming with micro:bit this round, incorporating the device into a physical project with LEDs and servo motors. We began by building circuits on a breadboard, two LEDs and a servo, and then created a starter program to control these components. In this project the micro:bit gets plugged into a breakout board attached to the breadboard giving us access to all of its input/ output pins. Students looked at a few example projects, and then designed their own animated display piece. They had to include the two LEDs and the servo, but I made them aware that they could have up to four LEDs and 2 servos. The diversity of projects was truly wonderful to behold. From a riff on Van Gogh's Starry Night to Nyan Cat complete with theme music, the results were delightful! I have had to break the highlight reel into two parts because there was too much amazing for a single video.

And now the hard part...

As many of you have already heard, this is my last year at Sinclair. I have accepted a position at an international school in Bangkok, Thailand as a STEAM Lab teacher beginning in August. I have been at Sinclair for 14 years, the last 10 of which have been in the STEM Lab, and the decision to leave was not made lightly. However, the chance to live and work overseas was an opportunity I could not let pass me by. 

I could not have wished to be part of a better community, and I am eternally grateful for all of the support I have received from the families at Sinclair. That support and encouragement has made the STEM Lab what it is today. I am going to miss the community and the amazing students that it has been my privilege to teach over the years. 

Thank you for everything, Sinclair! You will always hold a special place in my heart!