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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cA lot of the kids liked the climbing walls,\u201d said fourth-grader Ashtyn Ricks.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really had to make it fun and colorful,\u201d added fellow fourth-grader Sophia Fisher.<\/p>\n
The two of them were describing models they and fellow fourth-grade students designed as part of the school\u2019s science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) projects.<\/p>\n In addition to hosting a family night STEAM Expo which featured many career day speakers, this year the school also gave students the opportunity to design in-class projects to present to fellow classmates during the month of March.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was about getting all of the students involved,\u201d said Principal Elizabeth Bianchi.<\/p>\n A few fourth-grade classes decided to take on designing models of their school\u2019s future new playground, one of the projects that will be part of the schoolwide three-year modernization.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw a lot of commonalities,\u201d said fourth-grade teacher Sarita Cole.\u00a0\u201cThey wanted climbing walls and themes. The also cared about us, the teachers. They wanted us to have a watch tower with a shade which they made out of Dixie cups.\u201d<\/p>\n One thing students learned was that designing a playground is not easy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was challenging because all different kids all had different ideas so you really had to come to a compromise to put all your ideas together,\u201d according to Ricks.<\/p>\n In bringing those ideas together, students did a lot of research.<\/p>\n \u201cWe studied the history of playgrounds and showed playgrounds from the 1950s to present day,\u201d Cole shared. \u201cThey also researched playgrounds around the world, including countries that are developing cutting-edge innovations because of confined spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n As part of the process, students were tasked with thinking through the engineering design process, including identifying problems and brainstorming solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were rules like safety issues, so you really had to be careful on what you did but you still wanted to make it fun,\u201d Fisher stated.<\/p>\n While having fun, they were also putting a multitude of skills to work.<\/p>\n \u201cThey had to map out the way they wanted their designs to look so it involved a lot of science and mathematical understanding of numbers,\u201d Cole stated. \u201cThey also had to use their communication skills when they worked in teams and when they presented to other students.\u201d<\/p>\n In the end, the designs were phenomenal, according to Cole.<\/p>\n Look closely and the playdough that they used to create landscaping truly did look like trees. Colorful twist-ties were made to look like fun climbing domes. They even made tongue depressors wrapped with duct tape to resemble swings.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n