E is for ENGINEERING - Grade 5

 

We are back from a wonderful winter break and a wild snow storm. These next few weeks we are easing back into our CREATE stations, and we are engineering left and right keeping our hands and minds busy during our library time! 

Earlier, I shared my CREATE station, C is for CONSTRUCTION. How is engineering different from construction? It really isn't....several of these stations are very flexible and can be used for different stations. The big difference is that grades 3-5 do not have a construction station. Their C station is for COMPUTER (or CHROMEBOOK) with a digital choice board or Minecraft, so the engineering station is when the older kids get a chance to build and design too.

Check out our CREATE choice board for JANUARY: CREATE January Choice Board. If you would like a copy of the CREATE Choice board to make a copy and make changes you can access it HERE.

When the 5th graders engineer, they use KAPLA blocks (received from the local Buy Nothing FB group), which correlates with SOL WS.2, themes of geography and the human-environment interactions. They review these concepts by using the blocks to build dams, buildings, and bridges. 

 

If you would like all the engineering station freebies, check them out here: ENGINEERING STATION SIGNS and STANDARDS. 

R is for ROBOTS - Sphero for 5th Grade

 We finished off the week with some pretty fun and engaging robots. Ollie and Sphero are fun and easy to code because (for now) students can code them on their chromebook using the Sphero Edu drag-and-drop block coding app. They are updating Sphero EDU in January, so I am hopeful we can get the updated app and continue to use it. 

If all else fails, we use the iPad mini and the Sphero app to steer the Sphero using the driving app. It is not as great as block coding, but it allows students to drive the robot and determine distance and speed to get Sphero over the ramp, and we relate this back to SOL 5.3.d Force, Motion, and Energy. Students plot the course, remove obstacles, set up the ramps, and steer the robot. I was worried it wouldn't hold their attention for the entire station time, but we have not had that problem. It takes time for them to adjust to the steering, and then they plot different courses, which has them redesigning the course a few times and experimenting with different options. 

Check out the station signs I have for our Ollie Robots: 5th Grade ROBOT Station. This freebie has signs, standards, and directions for this robot station. 

If you like the ROBOT station, here is the sign I created for grades 3-5: You can make a copy HERE:

R is for ROBOT: Ozobots for 4th Graders

 

Ozobot bits...the robot that follows code and reads colors! This is an awesome library station because it can be in the robot station OR the art station. 

Learners can code Ozobots a few different ways: 

• Using Ozoblockly on the chromebook, learners drag and drop block coding to get the Ozobot moving.
• Coloring with markers, learners color the correct code on Ozobot worksheets or just plain white paper. 
• Clipping together Ozobot puzzle pieces that can be purchased (I bought one set on Amazon and another through eBay), learners create a color-coded path for the Ozobot to follow.
• Just getting started with Ozobot? I use this introduction video with my students:
   
  Introduction to Ozobot - Part 1.

Depending on the week, we use the puzzle pieces OR we code with our makers. I love using the Ozobot worksheets, and in 4th grade when we are learning about the planets, earth, moon and gravitational pull, we complete the eclipses worksheet from the Ozobot worksheet. It directly relates to the fourth grade SOLS for this quarter, so now is the perfect time to use the Ozobots and have them follow a path around Earth. 

Here are the materials for the 4th grade Ozobot Station: (one per participating student)

• plastic bag with a black, blue, green, red marker 
• Ozobot worksheet: Eclipses-celestial-mechanics 
• Ozobot code cheat sheet:  Ozobot Code cheat sheets
• Ozobot robots (students can share or each have their own Ozobot...collaboration can be very successful with this station). 

Check out the 4th Grade Ozobot science and library Lesson  HERE. It outlines the lesson, the standards, and learning goals (freebie on TPT). 

If you would the station sign for grades 3-5, here it is for you to copy: 

Check out the station sign for grades 3-5 HERE and make a copy if it is helpful! 

R is for ROBOTS: THIRD GRADE

 

This has been a fun start to the week! Our robot CREATE station has been hopping. Third graders are getting to use the EDISON robots. These robots can complete different activities by reading a barcode. This is a great station to get students started on coding robots. I submitted the edmat into our county print shop where they were able to create these mats for us: 

You can find the mats and the file to print HERE: MEET EDISON EDMAT. My print shop charged the library $15 per board, and they are very sturdy. These will last for a few years. 

Once you have the mats, the directions are super easy to follow: 

Step 1: Place Edison on the arrow to the right of the barcode

Step 2: Push the ROUND record button three times and wait for Edison to move forward and read the barcode. 

Step 3: Play the code by pressing the TRIANGLE button. 

Check out my ROBOT freebies for this station HERE! These are the signs I use with the standards, procedures, and I CAN statements. You can edit them to fit your needs! 

Additional note ...I do love robots that students have to code using block coding, and Edison does not disappoint with this either. On their website, Edscratch, you can use their block coding program to get Edison to move around your library. 

EDSCRATCH WEBSITE

The video and directions are super easy to follow. My 4th and 5th graders love to use the block coding for Edison.

Here is the ROBOT chart I have at my RED STATION: 

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A COPY!