Let me start by saying how much I miss seeing all the wonderful LPE students in the STEAM Lab each week! I know that this transition has been difficult for everyone, and I applaud the efforts of our students, their parents, and the LPE Staff as we do what we can to make the most of the transition to distant learning on April 27th.
During the coming weeks, additional activities and resources will be added to this site to help students continue to engage in learning from home while we are unable to meet at school. The other grade-specific pages on the STEAM Lab website will remain to allow our students continued access.
June 1 - 5, 2020
For the last week of school we will be reflecting on our experience the last couple months regarding COVID19.
I'm sure many of you miss going to school and seeing your friends and the LPE teachers and staff. Life has changed drastically for many, and adapting to the new normal has been difficult. With that in mind, this week we will be reflecting on how our lives have changed since the pandemic altered our daily lives.
Your task for this week is to make a list of 10 things (5 positive and 5 negative) that have happened during this time of quarantine and reflect on the impact those changes have had on you. With your focus on the positives, think of a person who has impacted you in a positive way and do something to show them gratitude for what they have done.
4th Graders: As you prepare to depart from Loma Portal, think about your overall experience and someone who has made a difference during your time at the school and find a way to express your appreciation for them.
Coding (or computer programming) is the method of giving instructions to a computer to perform a specific task. But learning to code isn’t just about the ability to program a computer. Coding expands problem solving and critical thinking skills, teaches important academic skills and builds crucial soft skills like perseverance and organization, making it a great opportunity for kids to build those skills while young.
Choose from a coding activity below based on your grade. If you complete all the code for your grade, feel free to move up to a higher grade's coding activity.
Choose a virtual field trip to experience from one of the links below. While watching, observe your surroundings and consider the following questions: What did you notice or wonder? What does the structure of the animal/plant/building/path tell you about its function?
Afterwards, reflect on the following: Where did you choose to go on your virtual field trip and why? What were the 3 most exciting things you learned on your adventure? What can we do to protect the habitat you observed?
Share your thoughts and findings with a family member or friend. To take this activity a step further, consider recording a review of your field trip stating the highlights of your chosen location and who you would recommend the trip to and why. Or, plan a pretend trip to the location you observed by thinking about how you will get there, how much money you will need, where you will stay, and some activities you would do on your trip.
Either print or trace the image from the above link and cut out each of the seven pieces. Put them together to create an object out of the shapes, without any pieces overlapping. You must use all seven pieces and may not alter them from their original state. Once your tangram is assembled, create a story where your newly created tangram is the main character.
Using the link below, access one of the SD Zoo or Safari Park's live cams for the animal of your choice and observe your selected animal for 5-10 minutes (if the animals aren't visible, select a different live cam to view).
While you watch the live cam, consider the following: What do you notice or wonder about the animal(s) you are observing? What do you see that tells you about the animals function? Are there any patterns in the animals behavior? How do your observations relate to the science you've learned this year? Record your observations and follow up by creating a narrative video about your animal, creating a 3D model of the animal in their habitat, creating a piece of art of the animal you observed, or researching your animal to learn some interesting facts.
This week's STEAM focus is Engineering and Design!
Using LEGOs, blocks, or other household items create a ride for a playground or theme park that involves motion. Examples include: swing set, see saw, roller coaster, merry go round. For an extra challenge, create an entire playground or theme park with multiple rides each using a different type of motion.
The Engineering Process involves improvement. Once you create your ride, think about how it could be improved and what steps would need to be taken to make the ideas for improvement a reality. Once you have your plan for redesigning your ride, give it a try!
Feel free to email pictures or videos of your awesome work to Mrs. Grizzle so she can see the amazing rides you created: [email protected]
April 20 - 24, 2020
This week's focus for the STEAM Lab is Earth Day, which Wednesday, April 22!
What do you wonder about the earth? What we do daily impacts the earth. How do you think you impact the earth with your daily activities? Feel free to draw/write what you do in your day and how your actions impact the environment and our earth. Think of what you can do to reduce your impact on the environment.
Its really important that we do our best to take care of the earth! Below are links to additional information about Earth Day as well as activities that can be completed to celebrate.
Or choose from one of these hands on craft ideas: Doing things for the earth can help spread quickly! You are just one person but you can have a big impact to help the earth. This can be illustrated by creating the earth on a coffee filter. Using food coloring to create blue and green water (or straight food coloring for bolder colors), slowly drip the blue and green colors onto a coffee filter and watch the color spread.
Create a Mosaic Earth by cutting up colored construction paper and gluing them together. Or to be more in touch with the aspect of Recycling which is closely associated with Earth day, use recycled materials instead (magazines, labels from food, cardboard, or other things your family doesn't want to keep).
April 7, 2020
Mystery Science has proven to be a valuable resource to Loma Portal. Doug from Mystery Science will be going live Tuesday, April 7th at 10am for about 20 minutes for a special live science mystery. If you can't tune in live, feel free to access the link below afterwards.