The month of September proved to be a wonderful start. Our supplies for the year were delivered and we organized and sorted through them so that we all know what is available as we build and create throughout the entire school year. All students took the DAST test (Draw A Scientist Test). In this lesson students drew their idea of "a scientist doing science." It helped surface students' prior understandings of the nature of science and the demographics of scientists. We discovered that our views of what scientist look like and how they engage in science are narrow, reflecting stereotypes of science and scientist that have existed for decades. These views often make it difficult for us to see ourselves as scientist. My hope is that I can lay the groundwork for shifting beliefs through exposure to and engagement in science this school year. The students also completed their first major project "Magnificent Marble Mazes". Students were provided with simple materials that could be used to create a maze. The maze had to incorporate at least 10 design points and extra points were awarded for different design elements such as ramps, hills, spirals, and loops. The marble had to enter the maze from a top corner and exit/end at a bottom corner of the box. The team with the longest trial time was declared the winner. The maze with the most design points would have been declared the winner in the case of a tie. If the marble fell out, no points were awarded for that trial. If the marble became stuck during the race students were allowed to restart the marble with a "gentle" push. Each push received a 5 second penalty subtracted from their time. The timer was stopped each time the marble stopped. Our marble mazes lasted anywhere from 11 to 34 seconds and are now on display in the school library for all students to view. We have taken apart and played with models to discover the major organs of the human body. After that brief lesson students picked a STEAM VIP scientist and are currently conducting research to learn more about that person. They will then present their information in the form of a "STEAM VIP Autopsy". Students will replace the internal organs of the scientist with pictures/icons that best represent the scientist. They will also write an autopsy report to go along with the project display board. Check back later for pictures from this project. Our art focus for the year is "Why do some works of art stand the test of time?" While there is no definitive list of the most important paintings to know there are types and genres that students will encounter throughout their lifetime and should be able to recognize. We will study paintings and art that students taking the AP Art History exam need to know as well as some that represent times and places in history that students should be able to discuss. We are starting with Mona Lisa and the students are in the process of creating Mona Lisa parodies. We talked about Leonardo Da Vinci being the leader of the first STEAM movement (aka Renaissance) and learned many interesting facts about the painting itself. In addition to these major projects we have also: read the story of the ferris wheel and how and when it was first engineered; defined and discussed problems that can be solved using autonomous machines and the properties need to meet design criteria; learned about how hyperloop technology could affect the way people live; read how astrobiologist study cave crystals to determine whether life can survive in extreme environments; learned about the chemistry of making s'mores over a campfire; discussed the conflicts between baboons and people in Cape Town, South Africa; and ended the month with a BANG! learning about some of Cassini's biggest moments over the past 20 years (NASA's Cassini probe was programmed to burn up in Saturn's atmosphere on September 15, 2017).