'January and February have been fun filled, busy, and also included unexpected breaks! Returning from our winter break we got right to work by working in teams of 2 or 3 to design and build an egg drop device to protect an egg from a fall. Each team was put on a budget (between 75-100 dollars). They were able to purchase certain materials such as a toothpick ($2 each), cotton ball ($5 each), rubber band ($5 each), newspaper ($20 per sheet), balloon ($20 each), and much more. They were told to use the materials carefully, as they would not be replaced if damaged. We related this activity to the challenge NASA scientists had in building a lander for the Mars Exploration Rover. Physically, it had to withstand both the heat of entry and the impact of landing. Strategically, they also had to figure out a way that the rover could right itself no matter how it landed. Student teams worked hard to brainstorm, plan, build, and test their egg dropping devices. All in all, 8 of the 20 student created devices passed all test and the egg NEVER cracked! Several of the devices somewhat protected the egg, and a handful did not protect the egg at all:) In addition to creating their own devices students also evaluated the designs of their classmates and made predictions prior to the actual drop test. We also visited the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum. There all students were able to see examples of kinetic sculptures created by Lin Emery by viewing the Lin Emery: A Movement, 1957-2017 solo exhibition (which ties into our STEAM theme perfectly). First through fifth graders then participated in a lesson led by a teaching artist in residence. Their lesson was titled "Exploring Artist Spaces". The students were asked to become museum explorers as they entered the exhibition "Tina Freeman: Artist Spaces". They investigated how artist are explorers and the different materials and tools artist use. By the end of the visit students had transformed an everyday object into a creative, animal-themed holder for their explorer tools. Sixth through eighth grade students took part in a lesson titled "Studio Style". They were able to make connections between form and function in an artist's space and the artwork that emerges from that space. Students sketched, discussed, and analyzed quotations from the artist about their personal studio style. By the end of the lesson all students transformed an everyday object into a pencil holder that reflects the essentials of their own studio style. After our visit at the art museum we walked over to the School of Computing and Informatics on ULL's campus. There, students were led on a tour of the computer science building. This included a tour of a video game lab, a motion capture lab, and they took home some extra knowledge about computing in general. Back in the classroom our discussions and lessons have included learning about the jobs of a computer coder, cake chemist, brain trauma investigator, and dive ranger. This is part of our biweekly "Cool STEM Jobs" mini lessons! We also took advantage of the timing of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Students researched one of the fifteen winter olympic sports and then presented their findings back to the class with a 2 minute oral presentation. We all learned more about the history of each sport, equipment needed, rules, and the SCIENCE behind the sport. Our latest art project involves some math: concentric circles, annulus, and symmetry! Students are in the process of drawing their very own mandala. They first had to find a perfect center, create three concentric circles around the center, measure the annulus desired between each circle, and then use symmetry to create designs all around the mandala. Each students' mandala is unique and I can't wait to see the finished products within the next couple of weeks. Some classes participated in a class debate as well: "Should people own exotic/wild pets as animals?". This led to a discussion about saving slow lorises in Indonesia. Other classes created infographics that summarized top STEAM news stories that have happened throughout the school year. The infographics will be used to share with others. Pictures coming soon!! Lastly, when we can we continue to participate in class STEAM stations. The students are able to choose which projects they want to work on (legos, snap circuits, chain reactions, spirographs, connector straws, and Little Bits.