3rd Grade Update: Short Films & SAM Labs

 Our students recently wrapped up an exciting project where they transformed into broadcasters, filmmakers, and researchers! Each student selected a topic of personal interest and worked either independently or with a partner to create an informational short film designed to educate their peers.

Click HERE to view the students' short films.

The creative process involved researching their chosen topics, gathering reliable data, writing an engaging and informative script, and designing eye-catching visuals to support their message. The end results were impressive — and students had a great time viewing and learning from each other's broadcasts.

An interesting trend popped up during the project: many students chose topics related to climate change. After noticing their strong interest, we explored the topic even more through hands-on lessons with SAM Labs — a STEAM-based learning platform that helps students build coding and problem-solving skills by working through real-world challenges.
With SAM Labs, students used hands-on blocks and digital coding to bring their ideas to life! They built projects like natural disaster alert systems for tornadoes and tsunamis, all while exploring how we can help tackle real-world problems like climate change.

Click HERE to see a student explaining how they created an alert system using SAM Lab tools. 

1st Grade Update: Divergent Thinking

Our 1st grade Idea Lab students have been stretching their imaginations and learning to think like inventors — just like Isabel the Inventor! This unit focuses on divergent thinking, which encourages students to explore many possible solutions and ideas, rather than just searching for one “right answer.” It’s all about creativity, curiosity, and thinking outside the box!

    

      

 

Some students even started naming their production studios! 

As part of this journey, students created their very own stop-motion films using LEGOs. Stop motion is a simple but powerful animation technique where still photos are captured frame by frame and stitched together to make objects appear to move on their own. This project gave students the chance to plan, design, and bring their ideas to life — a fun and creative way to practice storytelling and problem-solving!

Our viewing party was a hit. Click HERE to view a clip from one of our short films.

Next, students were introduced to the SCAMPER method, a tool inventors use to improve and rethink existing ideas. SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Rearrange — all ways to spark new ideas and see things from a fresh perspective. Using this strategy, students put their creative thinking to the test by SCAMPERing donuts — imagining new, inventive twists on this classic treat! 

Students will use this method with other objects and will really stretch their imagination! 
With a little imagination and the right tools, our creativity really is endless!  

2nd Grade Idea Lab Update: Future Game Designers in the Making!

Our 2nd grade Idea Lab students had a blast diving into the world of game design during our Cardboard Arcade Challenge, inspired by Caine’s Arcade! Students followed a full design process — starting with brainstorming, ideating, sketching, and presenting their ideas. Once their plans were in place, they built, tested, revised, and tested again before reflecting on their final designs.


One of the highlights of this project was inviting younger students to test out the cardboard arcade games. Our designers loved seeing others enjoy their creations and getting real feedback to help them improve their designs. This unit was a huge hit! 

Click HERE to see a video of our Cardboard Arcade in action! If you were not able to visit in person, please take a peek! 

After finishing their cardboard arcade games, students shifted gears and created new prototypes using LEGO bricks with smart hubs, motors, and sensors — allowing students to bring their ideas to life through movement and coding. It was exciting to see concepts evolve from cardboard to robotics!

  

          

Click HERE to view an Instagram Reel of our LEGO Arcade Games! 

To wrap up the unit, students explored Snap Circuits, a hands-on way to learn about electrical circuits. Using simple, snap-together parts, they created the “inside” of an arcade game, adding real motion, lights, and sounds to their designs. It was the perfect way to connect creativity with engineering and technology. 

Click HERE to view the Instagram Reel of the inside of a arcade game with Snap Circuits. 

Our 2nd graders showed amazing imagination, teamwork, and problem-solving skills throughout this unit — we can’t wait to see where their ideas take them next!

 

4th Grade Architecture Update

 Our 4th grade Idea Lab students have been hard at work exploring the world of architecture through hands-on projects and creative challenges! The unit kicked off with bridge-building, where students learned about balance, strength, and design by testing their own structures.

         

From there, students explored architectural styles throughout history — researching and building small-scale models to bring their learning to life. 

     

                 

Students selected a particular architectural style in history that played major influences on the architects of today. Students researched the style, analyzed features, created historic facades of buildings, and created presentations to teach their peers about the specific style they researched. 

             

They did a fantastic job presenting their projects to the class, and some students even created quizzes to test their peers’ knowledge.

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The next part of the journey brought students inside the walls of architecture. They’ve been learning how to read and design floor plans using real-world architecture measurements. Students designed their dream bedroom, closet, and bathroom, using Floorplanner, a digital design tool that allows them to create both 2D and 3D renderings of their spaces. This hands-on experience gave them a great feel for what architects do — and it was a lot of fun seeing their creative ideas come to life!
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Now that students have built a foundation, they’re ready for their final challenge: designing a building for the future! Whether it’s a home, school, museum, stadium, or something entirely new, students will apply everything they’ve learned — from ideation and sketching to creating full 2D and 3D exterior designs and floor plans. We can’t wait to see the future through their eyes!