STEM Blog

Thanksgiving STEM!

Posted January 1, 2024
Today's school-wide Thanksgiving STEM event was a remarkable journey filled with creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and, most importantly, gratitude! From giving thanks in mass to unleashing our creativity in various STEM challenges, we celebrated the spirit of Thanksgiving in style!
Our day was jam-packed with engaging activities like making fall slime, building boats for the Pilgrims, flying turkeys, creating floats for the Macy's Parade, foil boats, turkey balloon races, exploring turkey feathers, diving into Egyptian geometry, crafting paper rollercoasters, facing the Wind Power Challenge, and getting hands-on with Turkey Gak! The school transformed into a hub of innovation and fun, and the energy was truly infectious!
As we head into Thanksgiving break, let's carry the spirit of gratitude, creativity, and collaboration with us. Wishing everyone a joyful and restful holiday season!
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Macy's Day Parade

Posted January 1, 2024
Today our first graders designed and built their own version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as part of a cross-curricular STEM lesson.
In ELA, students read the book "Balloons over Broadway" by Melissa Sweet, which is a biography of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer behind Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. They learned all about helium balloons, the route for the parade, float building, balloon designs, and the lineup for the year. They also recreated the parade route in New York City to display the buildings, streets, and Central Park.
In Computer Class, the students learned how to program Ozobot robots using color codes to power their floats during the parade. The Ozobot, a mouse-sized self-propelled robot, is capable of reading colored line combinations and performing corresponding actions.
Our kindergarten spectators cheered on the parade as the first grade engineers carefully steered their floats through New York City! A huge thank you to Mrs. Vicendese, Mrs. Sugatan, Ms. Dresner, Ms. Hall, and Mrs. Phelps, for their guidance and support on this lesson. Well done First Grade!

 

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Fall Clubs!

Posted January 1, 2024
This week we are celebrating the successful conclusion of our Fall Clubs at SLS!
Design and Build, Chess Club, Cyber STEM—these clubs provided an incredible opportunity for our students to expand their experiences and knowledge. A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated moderators for their time and effort in making this fall season so enriching. Looking forward to more exciting adventures in the future!

 

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OLGC STEM Competition

Posted January 1, 2024
Congratulations to the 8th-grade students from St. Louis School who showcased their STEM prowess and clinched FIRST PLACE at the Our Lady of Good Counsel STEM competition!
Tasked with building a self-powered vehicle using only materials from a box, these talented students employed their knowledge of the engineering design process in a race against time—45 minutes, to be exact.
Facing off in three intense rounds, the SLS team emerged victorious, covering an impressive 41 feet.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Our Lady of Good Counsel team, faculty, and student mentors for hosting this fantastic event and offering invaluable guidance and support.
Let's give a round of applause to the stellar SLS team—Lourdes, Maame, and James—for their outstanding collaboration and communication skills.
Way to go, Knights!
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Pumpkin Soup

Posted January 1, 2024

Last week, the Mrs. Vicendese and Ms. Dresner’s First Graders participated in a fun STEM project that combined reading and technology. They began by reading "Pumpkin Soup" by Helen Cooper in ELA class then used their sequencing skills to put the story's events in order. After that, they arranged pictures from the story to create a map for their Ozobots. The students also used codes to control the Ozobots' speed which they learned in Mrs. Phelps’ computer class. These future engineers did a fantastic job working in groups, collaborating and supporting each other. #STEMatSLS




Pixel Art Fun!

Posted November 9, 2023
In a fantastic cross-curricular collaboration, Ms. d’Epagnier’s Art Class and Mrs. Phelps’ Computer Class teamed up for an exciting lesson. Students combined their artistic flair with computer skills, using their knowledge of coordinates to design and create pixel art. The creative process began with students prototyping their designs on grid paper, translating their ideas into digital masterpieces using the drawing tools in Google Slides.
 
But it didn't stop there! The young artists added more pixels to enhance their creations, resulting in a stunning display of pixel art masterpieces. Take a sneak peek at some of the incredible creations our second graders crafted in this collaborative and innovative lesson!
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Pumpkin Catapults

Posted November 5, 2023
Mrs. Riggin's and Ms. Rossi's Fifth Graders have engaged in a captivating STEM project involving pumpkin catapults! In a perfect blend of learning and creativity, these young engineers designed and built their own catapults. Their journey began with reading about the background and history of catapults in ELA and delving into measurement and averaging in math.
The mission: Create a catapult capable of launching candy pumpkins as far as possible to keep children safe during parades, ensuring they stay away from the road!
The first test involved four trials, but the real magic happened as students made modifications and improvements, testing their catapults again.
This hands-on experience not only sparks innovation but also showcases the incredible potential of integrated STEM learning. Kudos to these future engineers! #STEMatSLS
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Ozobot Time!

Posted November 2, 2023

Mrs. Phelps' First Grade engineers are taking their coding skills to a whole new level! They've embarked on an exciting journey of creating programming cards to introduce the fascinating world of Ozobot. 

Ozobot, a tiny self-propelled robot, can read colored line combinations and respond with cool actions. For example, a blue-green-blue sequence tells it to speed up, while a blue-red-blue sequence signals a 180-degree turn. It's an incredible hands-on experience that's sparking creativity and STEM exploration in our students. #STEMatSLS

 
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Halloween STEM!

Posted November 2, 2023
Our SLS students took Halloween to a whole new level with spine-tingling STEM activities! From constructing bone bridges to designing bug traps, building towers of Babel and delving into Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," they wove science and spookiness together.
Measuring candy, creating spider webs, and so much more - our students put their STEM skills to the test while having a blast. It was the perfect fusion of learning and Halloween fun! #STEMatSLS
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Board Game Math

Posted May 18, 2023

Mrs. Spera’s sixth grade math class completed a long-term STEM project this week. Students were challenged to create a new math game from old game boards and pieces. This included creating math problems that aligned with each chapter that was studied throughout the year. Each group designed their board and box to promote the theme of their game, then collaborated to create a complete manual outlining game rules and procedures. Students produced and enthusiastically played Math Kingdom, Outer Banks Math, ToonTown’s Math Adventures, Abracadabra Arithmetic, and Zombie Apocalypse. What a great way to promote math skills while having fun with peers! #STEMatSLS

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Seeking Alternative Energy Solutions!

Posted May 17, 2023
Our Fifth Grade student engineers took on a STEM challenge focused on finding alternative energy sources to replace fossil fuels. One such source is wind energy, which is renewable and abundantly available. But here's the question: How do people in rural countries, without access to the national grid, harness wind energy?
Our students were tasked with designing a wind turbine that could harness the power of the wind to lift or move objects. Throughout our lessons, they learned about the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources. They even completed a virtual lab to discover the optimal design for a wind turbine to generate electricity.
To wrap up their exploration of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, the students were presented with an engineering STEM challenge. Working in groups, they put their knowledge and creativity to the test to design and build their very own wind turbine prototypes. Through this process, they also discussed the practical applications of their designs in our world to continue to develop a more sustainable future. Well done, fifth grade!

 

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Exploring Nature's Wonders

Posted May 11, 2023
Exploring Nature's Wonders!
Today, the Fifth Grade class had an inspiring field trip to the Robinson Nature Center in Columbia! Their adventure took them on a journey of discovery, where they delved into the mysteries of Earth, Moon, and Sun. It was a day filled with awe, knowledge, and hands-on experiences that will stay with them forever.
One of the highlights was the visit to the planetarium, where they embarked on a celestial voyage. They learned how the Earth, Moon, and Sun work in harmony, bringing warmth to our planet and illuminating the moon's surface. It was a breathtaking experience that expanded their understanding of the vast universe they call home.
They also explored the natural wonders of the outdoors through an invigorating hiking trip. Guided by knowledgeable instructors, they learned about various plants, their significance in nature, and even discovered essential survival skills for living without modern technologies.
In the classroom, they delved into history as they examined intriguing artifacts. Their challenge was to determine which group of people—whether the first people, woodlands Native Americans, colonists, or modern individuals—used these artifacts. It was like being detectives, piecing together clues from the past to unravel the stories of those who came before them. It truly brought history to life!
A heartfelt thank you goes to the Fifth Grade team,, Mrs. Benzing, Ms. Conaghan, and Ms. Rossi, for planning and organizing this enriching and fun-filled experience..
Today, they not only learned about the wonders of nature and history but also created cherished memories and lasting friendships. It was a day of exploration, growth, and a reminder of the incredible world they inhabit.
To learn more about the Robinson Nature Center visit: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/rec.../robinson-nature-cente
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