The Grade 3 students at Rainbow Creek Elementary School classes participating in the Rocky View Schools’ Engineering Challenge. Through the Engineering Challenge, the students are learning to “Think Like Engineers” by going through the process of designing and building prototypes for a structure they think the Kindergarten children would like in their planned Outdoor Learning Space.
As they follow the engineering cycle, Grade 3 students have interviewed and consulted with the Kindergarten students to identify needs, explored building techniques, then imagined, planned, and improved their prototypes with their team. “Students will be sharing their prototypes and their learning journey on March 30, 2016 at our Student-Led Conferences with their community members”, explained Janice Cook, Grade 3 teacher at Rainbow Creek.
Students have uncovered the curriculum through an exploration of the questions “What does it mean to think like an engineer?” and “How can I use the engineering cycle – identify, explore, imagine, plan, prototype, improve, communicate – in my project?”
An important part of any project is the funding and the collaborations that occur. Rainbow Creek Elementary School was recently awarded $500.00 by the Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation (CEPF) by way of The Citizenship in Action Grant was awarded to Rainbow Creek Elementary School’s Grade 3 Engineering Challenge project.
On Monday March 14th, Din Ladak and Rebecca Fellicia from CEPF presented Rainbow Creek Staff Members Janice Cook, Tara Hrysak, Jill Carrier, and Melissa Gough (University of Lethbridge intern teacher) with the award.
Nikki McAllister from Rocky View Schools, School Board Trustee Bev LaPeare, and Rainbow Creek School Administrators Laura McArthur and Annette Poffenroth, along with Grade 3 students were on hand to accept the generous contribution towards their learning and citizenship.
School Board Trustee, Bev LaPeare said, “Our students are showcasing amazing learning and creativity and we’re so fortunate to have that recognized by the Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation. Grants and partnerships such as this go a long way to spur even more energy and excitement around their projects.”
Laura McArthur, Principal at Rainbow Creek Elementary School, added “It has been so exciting to have our grade 3 students participating in Rocky View Schools’ Engineering Challenge. They really are learning to “Think like Engineers”! The prototypes they have come up with for a structure they think Kindergarten students would like in their planned Outdoor Learning Space are incredibly thoughtful and creative. It has been a very engaging and rewarding endeavor for our students. We are very proud of how hard they have been working on their prototypes and look forward to them being shared at our student led conferences on March 30, 2016. A big thank you to Calgary Educational Partnership for their generous contribution to our students learning and citizenship!”
Another aspect of this project is the Lowe’s store visit on March 16th to the Cross Iron Mills Lowe’s store. “They were amazing in sending out 5 associates with 85 Build and Grow kits to build with all of the Grade 3 students. Each student built one of the Lowe’s Build and Grow kit projects. They each got to keep their own safety goggles, carpenter’s apron, and badge. We had lots of amazing ‘expert’ helpers (parent volunteers) who were fantastic in helping the students assemble their birdhouses and planters. There were lots of hammers tapping (about 40 at once) but the experience was so much fun for all!’ explained Grade 3 teacher, Janice Cook.
