PUE5Quest

Mrs. Moss's students recently tackled an engaging STEM challenge that put their engineering and teamwork skills to the test. The goal was simple: stack plastic cups into various structures without using their hands. The rules were tricky. The students only had three items to work with: A single rubber band One yard of string Plastic cups They had to work as a team, manipulating the single "grabber" tool they created with the materials to pick up and place the cups. This wasn't just about stacking; it was about communication, problem-solving, and patience! They quickly learned that precise communication and synchronized movements were the key to success. They innovated, collaborated, and, yes, stacked quite a few cups before things tumbled down. I am proud of their ingenuity and perseverance. They proved that with a little creativity and a lot of teamwork, any challenge can be overcome!

Congratulations to Mrs. Moss's talented students! They successfully completed a difficult STEM challenge using only 12 pieces of spaghetti, 20 marshmallows, two 6 inch pieces of string, 1 index card, and 12 inches of tape. In this challenge, students had to design and build a functional swing set, requiring them to apply their knowledge of engineering principles, structural integrity, and problem-solving. The creativity and ingenuity displayed were truly impressive. Students tested their designs, iterated on their prototypes, and ultimately achieved amazing results. I'm so proud of their hard work and teamwork!

This past Halloween, my gifted 5th graders didn't just dress up—they became filmmakers! We challenged them to create a spooky, Halloween-themed stop motion animation using Google Slides, and they absolutely crushed it! From haunted houses to dancing skeletons, each group brought their unique vision to life, frame by frame. The collaboration and problem-solving skills they used were just as important as their final product. Each student was required to create a minimum of 50 slides. But many enjoyed the activity so much, that they continued working on it well after the end of class. A few came back the next day and had continued their film with over 200 slides! Check out a few of their amazing creations below!

Over the last week or so, our gifted 5th-grade classes transformed into a hub of innovation and engineering! Students have been working in teams to design and build their very own Rube Goldberg machines. A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately complex contraption that uses a chain reaction to perform a simple task in an elaborate, roundabout way. The creativity and ingenuity on display were absolutely incredible! We started our learning journey on the Qweebi website which has an INCREDIBLE interactive lesson on simple machines and Rube Goldberg machines. More Than Just Fun This project wasn't just about fun—it was a deep dive into serious STEM concepts: Simple Machines:  Students incorporated levers, pulleys, ramps, and more into their designs. Problem Solving:  The machines rarely worked on the first try! Our students demonstrated amazing resilience, troubleshooting their designs, and practicing flexibility as they refined each step. Teamwork:  Collaboration was key. S...