2nd Grade Stem

Its taken a while to publish these pics, but I wanted to show the following projects from last year's Second Grade STEM, which amounted to what I can only describe as a "design tour de force"!  As always, the focus had been on problem solving and design creativity -

The first project "problem" for the Second Graders was to create some type of design solution that would prevent "Play-mobile" characters from getting wet in a rain storm. Students could use a limited variety of materials - and had limited time to design their creations. Having designed products for over thirty years, I was completely bowled over (and I'm sure you will too) by the work of these "at the time" Second Graders.

The second project "problem" was the result of problems the students were having with the graduated cylinders they were using for evaporation experiments. The students had issues with measuring the amount of water (could not see the lines easily), recording the proper water volume (could not read the numbers easily, and could not discern which line applied to which number), and above all, could not see the water clearly through the translucent walls of the device. Interestingly, the students had great issue with filling the device with a prescribed amount of water - because of the back and forth nature of using it (adding too much, then pouring out too much, etc).

The results were simply AMAZING! The Dazzling Design Award went to the student whose design included a valve at the bottom of the cylinder that could be opened to lower the water level to the proper level!  First year industrial design students in college would have a run for their money...