After learning about electricity in their science classes, Class 3 students put their knowledge into practice with a creative design project. Using Little Bits (small magnetic electrical bits that can be used to build objects), the young inventors constructed their very own robotic tools and toys.
Following several sessions of diligent brainstorming and design work, the students were thrilled to learn that they would be taking their completed Little Bits creations on the road!
The plan was for Class 3 to show their Kindergarten peers the inventions in action, share what they had learned, and reflect on what could be better. “If something doesn’t go right, that’s to be expected. These are prototypes. They can always be improved,” Lower School Head Science Teacher Joanne Hwang noted.
Before they headed out, the Class 3 students made final adjustments to their designs – fixing loose ends and making sure everything was secure and working properly. They were observably proud of their creations and eagerly explained them to this writer.
One pair described building a robotic bunny/monkey automatic home cleaner, affectionately referred to as “Bunky,” whose cotton-padded feet pick up dust from the floor as it moves around.
Continuing this theme of “clean”, another group created “The Peacock Cleaner,” a robot covered in an array of colorful feathers that sweeps and collects garbage as it drives throughout the room. The students demonstrated by scattering small scraps of construction paper across the carpet. The Peacock Cleaner sprung quickly into action, and eventually each scrap was removed from the floor.
Others built useful tools, like an automatic fish feeder, and fun toys, like a robotic puppy named “Butterball.” “If you aren’t allowed to have a real pet, he will be there to cheer you up!” the designer explained.
With their fine-tuned creations in tow, the students made their way to a Kindergarten classroom and enthusiastically paired up with their younger peers. The room was abuzz with activity (and the whirr of the electric-powered machines) as the older students proudly shared their work.
“Your turn!” one Class 3 student exclaimed. Her Kindergarten partner’s face lit up with excitement as she grabbed the invention and tried it for herself.
After completing several rotations so that each student could experience every invention, Ms. Hwang announced that Class 3 would be leaving their electrical creations in the Kindergarten classroom so that their younger friends could spend more time with them.
The Class 3 students beamed with pride as they handed over their inventions and headed back to their class. This hands-on inquiry into the world of electricity surely illuminated a world of possibility for these creative Lower Schoolers.
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