E is for Engineering - K-2 Grade - Let's BUILD!

There is no doubt that our engineering station is one of the favorites in the library. Here is our breakdown (although these can all be interchangeable).

Kindergarten: Brain Flakes

First grade: Garden Gears

Second grade: IO Blocks 

We discovered IO blocks through the scholastic catalog. There are mini blocks (for older students) and the larger blocks we use for this station with the second graders. There are cards they can use to give them inspiration or they can free build. In order to connect to the standards, I challenge our second grade learners to design and build their very own plant, animal, or flower. They always come up with creative designs.

If you would like view our station materials, you can check them out HERE. 

First grade students study plants and the life cycle of plants, so it makes perfect sense that we build our own gardens with our garden gears. They even have pollinators they can include in their garden. They build all sorts of garden designs, big and small. Often times they will join their designs together to form one massive garden, which is pretty impressive. 

If you would like to check out station materials for our first grade garden gear center, you can look view them HERE.  

Have you have had the joy of building with brainflakes? We have used brainflakes across all grade levels. I can't wait to share all the ways we use them (more to come later). For kindergarten learners, they like to sort them by color and make patterns. They design snowflakes, flowers, rainbows and sometimes just sort and classify them. This taps into their math standards and re-enforces patterns. 

Check out our station materials HERE.

Below you will find one of the charts I have at my YELLOW, Engineering table. It covers the standards for grades K-2. I love these visuals because the teachers can see how we are connecting our library CREATE stations to the activities and skills they are learning in the classroom. 

To make a copy of the chart below, click HERE.

R is for ROBOTS (create stations K-2)

For grades K-2, R stands for ROBOTS. 

Kindergarten: Kindergarten arrives in library at 2:05 PM. Having the makerspace buckets ready to go keeps my sanity for when they enter. They enter in the library, stand on a velcro dot and then I announce which station they are attending and often times will walk them to their station. The station chart I use comes in really handy with kindergarten. 

HERE IS THE CHART IF YOU WOULD LIKE MAKE A COPY!

For our ROBOT activity, I love love love the alpha and number robots that transform. I received a couple sets through the Amazon #clearthelist movement and some others through a Donor's choose campaign. Students can use these to identify letters, sounds, and numbers. They also work togethter to make words and then transform the words into robots. This keeps their attention for the full 20-30 minutes we are in stations, so this is definitely a WIN! 

Check out the Kindergarten freebies for the ROBOT Station

I have included the station signs, AASL standards, and directions. 

Grades 1-2 get to code Beebot. Using Beebot on 2 different mats, students code Beebot around town and around a pirate island. Two rules: students can not pick up Beebot and Beebot can never leave the mat. Every where Beebot travels is because the students correctly coded him. This is the hardest part to teach...I let them know right away how to code his back so he moves forward and in reverse. 

Check out the 1st Grade ROBOTS HERE and 2nd Grade ROBOTS HERE. 

I have included the station signs, AASL standards, and directions. 

HERE IS OUR ROBOT CHART AT THE TABLE THAT OUTLINES THE STANDARDS. If you would like to make a copy to modify the above chart, click HERE. 

C is for CONSTRUCTION (K-2)

 

Create Stations...Construction:

For grades K-2, C stands for CONSTRUCTION. There are so many tools that students can access. We have Roy Toys, Plus Plus, a wedgit table, STEM building blocks, and Kapla blocks. These have been accumulated over time and they have replaced some of the consumables I used to have (straws, construction paper, etc.) 

K - STEAM Building Kit 

This is construction at its best. It promotes problem-solving and fine motor skills. Learners can build several modes of transportation using these tools. We have 2 sets broken into four small boxes. Each student gets a box. I connect this to our "Building Community" theme, so I encourage them to build vehicles or machines that will make working in the community easier. 

If you would like to start your own construction station, I have library signs that include: directions, I Can statements, and AASL standards. Feel free to download the construction station and edit it to fit your needs. 

CONSTRUCTION STATION FREEBIE - Kindergarten 

1st GRADE - WEDGIT TABLE 

Students are able to build and create structures using the wedgit table (bought at teacher store clearance sale) along with the wedgit kits (bought through Amazon with book fair money).  These are just like the name indicates, the pieces 'wedge' together to create structures, animals, towers, and anything the students can imagine. 

Here is the Construction Station FREEBIE for first grade. Feel free to download and edit to fit your needs. 

2nd GRADE - Roy Toys  

Think Lincoln Logs but locally sourced wooden toys from the Maine woods (where my entire family...except for me…was born!). 

In second grade our theme is connecting to Earth. We read books about dinosaurs, animals, and nature. Students construct animal habitat structures using the Roy Toy building blocks. As you can imagine, students create all sorts of fun homes and habitats. 

Feel free to access the CONSTRUCTION STATION FREEBIE for second grade!

My K-2 construction stations take place at the same table, so I have this chart that I put on the table to show everything we do for the K-2 construction activities in one combined chart. This chart can also be used to submit to admins and faculty to show the big picture of what is accomplished in library and how classroom standards and concepts are also being presented in library. 

If you would like to make a copy to modify the above chart, click HERE. 

If you would like to view it, click HERE.