AROUND CAMPUS
Engineering , Math , and Design Come Together in a Fun , Signature Experience
Race Day : On Friday , May 24 , 2024 our third graders were ready to put the miniature race cars they had so carefully designed and built to the test . Weeks of collaboration , close observation , data gathering , and problem solving had led to the final event - a friendly competition where the boys cheer not only for their own cars , but also for those of their fellow classmates , and revel in the shared experience .
For several weeks prior , the boys had examined how friction , mass , and aerodynamics affected the motion of their cars , and used the engineering cycle to modify their vehicles . In math classes , they learned how to interpret data to inform decisions about the design of their vehicles . Finally , on race day , as the mini race cars flew down the 50-foot track , there wasn ’ t an inexpressive face in the crowd . Wide-eyed , excited , breath-held , the boys wondered if the cars they designed , built , tested , and revised after several runs through the engineering cycle had what it would take to be crowned the Fastest , Slowest , or King of the Hill .
Research shows that novelty , lessons as games , creating products , and competition engage boys ’ interest and deepen their learning . This signature learning experience has it all !
“ Move Over , Mother Goose !”
Building on nursery rhymes explored in their language arts curriculum , our Alpha boys debuted a new show that they named Move Over , Mother Goose !
This collaborative performance included dramatizations of their favorite nursery rhymes , a new version of the classic This Old Man , and a twist on the poem What Are Little Boys Made Of ?
Summer 2024 • 53