5th Grade Trip to UMKC

We had an amazing time at UMKC. We were mainly in the School of Computing and Engineering.  We learned from a professor who taught us about magnetic and electrical fields.  We also learned from a professor who works with quadcopters. He demonstrated how they fly, use GPS, and take video.  We also toured the facilities where students work on competitions. We saw a Baja buggy, steel bridge, and human-powered vehicle that are all used in competitions around the United States. We toured the robotics area but did not see their current competition robot because they were at a competition. We also toured the library and learning center.  They have a Roobot that gets the books from a huge warehouse when students request them. There are hardly any books in the learning center.  It mainly has places to collaborate and use technology.  We finished with a tour of their geology museum and heard from a paleontologist who showed us a mammoth tooth, geodes, minerals, fossils, and a fulgurite (glass that is formed when lightning strikes the ground).  It was a great chance to have conversations and answer questions about colleges.  

The Roobot in the library.

Showing how the computer communicates with the Roobot so it knows which books to pull.

The Baja Buggy they are building for competition.

Walking around UMKC's beautiful campus.

A professor taught us about electrical and magnetic fields.

He dropped shredded paper to show the shape of the electrical force.

You could hold a magnet in your hand and feel the magnetic force.

This wand could be used to show electrical force with the metal ribbon.

UMKC students working on quadcopters.

Quadcopter demonstration.

Students could see the view from the quadcopter's camera.

Geology Museum.  This is a mammoth tooth found near the Kansas River.

4th Grade Lego Transportation Challenge

Today the students did a Lego challenge. They worked with partners to create a fast form of transportation. We had interesting and insightful discussions about how they made decisions with their partner, how their idea evolved as they built it, and how they problem-solved.

3rd Grade Trip to the Puppetry Arts Institute

We enjoyed learning about the history of puppets and how Hazelle Rollins created a successful puppet factory during the Great Depression. The students learned about different types of puppets and different ways puppets were/are made. Then they each chose a vinyl head to use to make their own hand puppet. They were taught how to paint it and then “clothing” was added. We are going to use their puppets to write and perform a puppet show for a younger grade.

2nd Grade Science Experiments

Today we learned about Lindy Light and Mary Motion. We conducted an experiment exploring white light, shadows, and the color spectrum.  We also conducted an experiment to learn about potential and kinetic energy.

5th Graders Creating and Flying Kites

We read an article and watched a video about kites and how they fly. Then the students each made a kite. To create the kite, the students had to use measuring skills and follow written directions carefully. We tested our kites and fixed them to fly better. Then the students added creative touches to their kites including tails and we flew them again. They learned a lot about lift and aerodynamics.