The Design Technology and Engineering curriculum in grades 4 – 5 introduces the concepts of design thinking, rapid prototyping, robotics and coding in fun age-appropriate ways. Here are some projects students have worked on.
Grade 4
Students put their design and building skills to the test in Dee Ching’s class by making “gecko traps” that they designed on the computer, then fabricated out of cardboard.
Fourth graders in Danette Kobayashi’s class worked with Hummingbird Robotics Kits, with LED lights, sensors and motors. Using the kits, students built and coded holiday decorations with moving parts, then finished off the unit by building their own “jitterbug” robot, complete with lights, motion and sound.
Students worked with Legos in a fourth grade class with Dee Ching. Using Legos helps students learn foundational engineering skills that can be applied to more complex projects later on.
Fourth graders in Dee Ching’s class worked on a project that coupled coding with electronics. They created computer games, then used a special circuit board to make their own controllers out of Play-Doh.
“My favorite thing about about teaching this subject is watching the kids excitement as they take an idea or a project and make it come to life,” Ching said. “Their creativity is boundless and they have no fear in our class. They are taught to take risks, try new things and have fun.”
Grade 5
Fifth grade students in Dee Ching’s class created their own robotic animals for the class “petting zoo,” complete with lights, motion and sound, made from Hummingbird Robotics Kits. Lessons using the kit can encompass a wide variety of subjects – from engineering to art and English – by building and programming robots or kinetic sculptures using skills in fabrication, coding and circuitry. Visitors to the petting zoo were impressed with the fifth graders’ work.