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Modeling the movement of the Earth and the predictable patterns of day and night, as well as the seasons. 

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Modeling the movement of the Earth and the predictable patterns of day and night, as well as the seasons. 

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Students created models to visualize the revolution of the moon as it moves around the earth, creating the visible phases of the moon.

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Students are challenged to re-invent a favorite board game and use the micro:bit to spice it up! We had some very creative design solutions this quarter.

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We had a fantastic time at the Museum and Planetarium. 

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We had a fantastic time at the Museum and Planetarium. 

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Thank you PTC!

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The Giraffe Bot!  Built by Liam, Deng, Mel, and Elanor! 

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After completing the engineering design process, and using a peer to peer review protocol that helped nominate the top contenders, 13 teams competed for the honor of best design.

Our guest judges—engineers from JR Automation and MFP Automation—have selected the top designs! These teams IMPRESSED everyone with their creativity, problem-solving, and engineering skills:

Earning 13.5 of 16 points - from Mrs. Willmore’s class -Sand Surfer! engineered by Carter A, Kendall, April, and Finn

Earning 14 of 16 points - from Mrs. Standish’s class -The Clean Machine created by Lenox, Aviya, Marisa, Brayden, and Reese

Earning 14.5 of 16 points - from Mrs. Wysocki’s class -The Giraffe Bot designed by Mel, Elanor, Deng and Liam!!!

A huge thank you to all participants and to our incredible judges for sharing their expertise and advice along the way. Fifth graders, keep innovating! We can’t wait to see what you create next! At 56G, we build robots…what’s your superpower? #RoboticsCompetition #STEAMat56G #FutureEngineers

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Finalists are being selected this week in the EnviroBots design challenge! 

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Finalists are being selected this week in the EnviroBots design challenge! 

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Students used peer to peer “NUF test”evaluations to help select the top design from each class. Check in here for video updates .

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And they are amazing. After each pitch, our audience spends time rating the prototype using the NUF test - determining if the design is NEW, USEFUL, and FEASIBLE. One design from each class will be selected as winner using the scores from our rubrics.

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Our 56G students have engineered and programmed some amazing prototypes. They’ve finished writing their speeches. Each team is ready to convince the sharks that their design is the best possible solution to fight pollution!

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We had some really awesome (and fast) designs this quarter!

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Our first board game is complete - a student made version of the old arcade game Whack-a-Mole!

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We programmed our micro:bits as a compass and went on a scavenger hunt.

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Making progress on our pollution-fighting robots 

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Making progress on our pollution-fighting robots 

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How can we build a robot that can combat pollution in Michigan? 

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How can we build a robot that can combat pollution in Michigan? 

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Fifth graders are working hard on the prototypes of a robots they would invent to clean up pollution. We have some very passionate young people, and I am amazed by them daily. Each class used a dot vote protocol to determine the most important environments which needed robotic solutions, and formed teams based on their areas of interest.

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Our first build is underway. To start off, students learn how to assemble a simple gear with stability so that everything they build after that will work well. We will add to this build incrementally until we accomplish the first automated mechanism - a gear train.

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Second Quarter STEAM Maize team building 

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Second Quarter STEAM Maize team building 

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Secrets and Safes - students were challenged to invent a new security system designed to protect a valuable item. Using micro:bits, they programmed an input sensor that would trigger lights, sounds, and motors to act as an alarm system.

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GT Top Motors Challenge - Progress pics! 

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GT Top Motors Challenge - Progress pics! 

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...we're just over here building some race cars... 😏 😏 😏 😏 😏

Teams are challenged to build the fastest race car. It must travel 14m and stop at the finish line. Each team had to decide which mechanism and what size gears would be the best combination. More pictures below!

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After speaking to fifth grade students, Mr. Tyler hung around for a little while and showed some of his programming skills off to the STEAM Maize classes. Thanks, Mr. Tyler!

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Luke B (shown here) won 56G’s SOAR drawing and got a chance to control the robot today.   He shared “At that moment it sparked a little bit of creativity in me.  I think that when I grow up I want to be an engineer.”

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Engineers Nicki and Jeremy visited 56G today to provide a virtual tour for fifth grade students. It was so cool to see units of 50 and 100 robots working together inside a facilities the size of a football field. We also learned that JR Automation designed some robots for Universal Studios.

Huge thanks to JR Automation for the experience (and some swag)!!