McPherson Magnet's STEM Program

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY - Launch and Gateway

McPherson Magnet'sSTEM ProgramPROJECT LEAD THE WAY - Launch and Gateway

8th Grade

Flight and Space


During this course, 8th grade students delve into the history of flight and space, discover the science behind aeronautics, and explore traveling and living in space. Students use the Engineering Design Process and computer simulations to explore, invent, and innovate.

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Gliders

Students learned how each part of a plane's design contributes to its overall flight.
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White Box Learning

Students used White Box Learning to digitally create a glider to meet specs, printed their pattern, and built gliders out of balsa wood.
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Competition

Students competed to see if their physical gliders performed as well as their digital gliders.

7th Grade

Introduction to Computer Science


7th graders step into the role of a computer scientist and explore how apps work, learn the design process, debug programs, and develop mobile apps.

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Algorithms

Students exploring algorithms and creating flowcharts in App Creator.
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MIT App Inventor

Students explored MIT App Inventor, the explore mystery app.
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Pair Programming

Students take turns in the roles of driver and navigator. They collaborate and communicate with each other.

6th Grade

Design and Modeling


6th grade students use the Design Process to solve problems and understand the influence of creativity and innovation in their lives. The use of a common measurement system is necessary for communicating and fabricating designs, and students learn they must be precise and accurate with their measurements.

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Dial Calipers

Students learned how to use a dial caliper to measure thickness, internal and external diameter, and depth. Accurate measurements are important for a successful invention or innovation.
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Measurement Lab

6th graders practiced precision and accuracy by creating a paper skimmer that will glide across the floor with ease.
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Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO)

Using the Design Process, teams worked collaboratively to design, test, and build a model solution for patients with a movement disorder called cerebral palsy.
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AFO Design Process

The goal of any engineering design process is to create solutions and opportunities for people and society.
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AFO Prototypes

All solution attempts should be realistic and based on identified design requirements.
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AFO Prototype Testing

Prototypes are constructed based on design documentation and then tested to identify design flaws.

5th Grade

Robotics and Automation


To start this module, first students work in groups to learn about the history of robotics and research a variety of robot classes, including those developed to complete tasks that would be dangerous to humans. Then students explore the VEX IQ kits and work collaboratively with a partner to build a model of a toy that has at least one moving part.

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Create a Toy

Partners explored the components of the VEX IQ Design Kits, and then worked collaboratively to design a toy that has at least one moving part.
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Robotics Research

Students explored robotic history and conducted research to learn more about one particular type of robot. They presented their findings to the class using a Popplet.
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Inputs and Outputs

Through hands on experience, 5th graders learned about inputs and outputs within a robotic system: motors, switches, sensors, and touch LED.
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This is Buggy.

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It's a helicopter and a car.

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This is Batman's motorcycle.

4th Grade

Input/Output: Human Brain


4th grade students are introduced to the analogy of the brain as a computer. They identify major regions of the human brain and make a model of the brain using clay. Then students describe how each region within the brain helps control and regulate specific functions in the body.

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Inputs and Outputs

4th graders were introduced to the structure and function of the nervous system and learned about the brain and spinal cord. Using clay, they built model brains and identified what each region of the brain does.
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Senses Exploration

Students investigated how the organs associated with the senses communicate with the brain. They explored the "Stroop Effect" by having students name colors using various words to see how our brains process what we see.
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Memory Tests

After investigating how bodies sense information from the world around them, next students investigated how the brain processes this information and stores it as memories by playing memory games.

3rd Grade

Stability and Motion: Forces and Interactions


In this module, students gain an understanding of forces and interactions using multiple modalities. They explore, design, sketch, and build both simple and compound machines that demonstrate the use of forces using VEX IQ components.

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Simple Machines

Students learned about effort and resistance forces and explored the components of the VEX IQ kit. Then they worked together to create the first of six simple machine models-the wheel and axle.
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More Simple Machines

3rd graders built and explored a model of an inclined plane by working collaboratively to follow directions on the Autodesk Inventor Publisher app.
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Even More Simple Machines

A lever is a simple machine that moves a load around a fulcrum using a force. The force is applied to the lever arm which pivots at the fulcrum.

2nd Grade

Grids and Games


2nd grade students build knowledge and skills that will enable them to program a game on a tablet using ScratchJr. Beginning lessons include multiple challenges that reinforce students' understanding of how to give instructions in a sequence to animate characters, and to apply mathematics to control the movements of a programmable agent.

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Rosie the Robotic Dog

Computing is a collaborative activity that fosters creativity, communication, and teamwork. In this "unplugged" activity students have to program the dog Rosie through a maze by making a sequence of instructions out of playing cards.
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Moving with Math

2nd graders programmed characters in a code that move around and can react to the user's finger tap. They can also program characters to change appearance and can make them move multiple steps at a time.
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Computer Scientists

Students learned to persevere when testing, finding, and fixing problems when coding.

1st Grade

Light and Sound


1st graders investigate light and sound, including vibration from sound waves and the effect of different materials on the path of a beam of light. They work collaboratively to sketch, build, test, and reflect on a device that uses light or sound to communicate over a distance.

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Exploring Sound

1st graders explored the relationship between sound and vibration by analyzing a variety of ways to generate sound. They experimented with rubber bands, metal water bottles, stethoscopes, tuning forks, and metal Slinky coils.
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Exploring Light

Students learned how light travels over distances using flashlights and mirrors (reflection), and then they explored light going through a colored lens.
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Spectroscopes

1st graders explored refraction by viewing classroom lights with spectroscopes. Yes we observed rainbows!