Students will learn about the Engineering Design Process. Students will face a challenge at the beginning of class, and we will work through the activity as they brainstorm and create to complete the challenge. We will discuss with one visual slide in the first 5 minutes and then begin problem-solving and creating for the rest of the class. We will take the last 5 minutes to share or present our designs. Students will not be required to present their designs, and they will be encouraged.

Week of May 12-18: Marshmallow Towers: Use toothpicks and marshmallows to build tall towers, encouraging engineering and design skills.


Week of May 19-25: Pasta Bridges: Construct bridges using pasta and glue, then test their strength by adding weights, and teaching structural engineering principles.


Week of May 26-June 1: Egg Drop Challenge: Design containers to protect eggs from breaking when dropped from various heights, fostering problem-solving and physics concepts.


Week of June 2-8: Water Bottle Rockets: Build rockets using empty plastic bottles and launch them using water and air pressure, exploring physics and aerodynamics.


Week of June 9-15: Straw Towers: Create tall towers using only drinking straws and tape, focusing on stability and structural engineering.


Week of June 16-22: Solar Oven: Build a solar oven using cardboard and foil to harness solar energy for cooking, teaching about renewable energy and heat transfer.


Week of June 23-29: Balloon-Powered Cars: Design and build cars powered by balloons, learning about thrust and propulsion.


Week of June 30-July 6: Rubber Band Helicopters: Construct helicopters using paper, rubber bands, and paperclips, investigating flight mechanics.


Week of July 7-13: Trebuchet Building: Build small-scale trebuchets using craft sticks and rubber bands, exploring principles of physics and mechanics.


Week of July 14-20: Aluminum Foil Boats: Construct boats using aluminum foil and see how many pennies they can hold before sinking, demonstrating buoyancy and engineering.


Week of July 21-27: Magnet Maze: Create mazes using cardboard and magnets, guiding a magnetic object through the maze to understand magnetic fields.


Week of July 28-August 3: Catapults: Build catapults using craft sticks and rubber bands, experimenting with launch angles and projectile motion.


Week of August 4-10: Building a Volcano: Construct a model volcano using clay and baking soda-vinegar reactions to simulate eruptions, teaching about geology and chemical reactions.


Week of August 11-17: Geodesic Dome: Build a geodesic dome using straws and connectors, understanding geometric shapes and structural stability.


Week of August 18-24: Cardboard Arcade Games: Create arcade games using cardboard, rubber bands, and other simple materials, combining engineering and game design skills.

Week of August 25-31: Paper Tower Challenge: Using paper and tape build the tallest tower.

Week of September 1-7: More to be listed

The teacher will send the list of supplies before the first class. No experience or prior knowledge is required. Supplies can be anything that is found around the home (cardboard, tape, string, yarn, foil, newspaper, empty recyclables, and more). Gather a container of materials that can be used for creating!

Class is taught by a licensed early childhood and elementary teacher with a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a STEAM emphasis and years of experience.