Throughout the school year, the STEAM department at Hampton Bays Elementary School engaged students in a variety of hands-on, engineering-related projects.

Kindergartners learned the steps that engineers use to design bridges and constructed a bridge out of Legos to help the Three Billy Goats Gruff safely cross the river and pass over the big green troll.

First graders constructed a wind sail. The sails were built and tested using a special car that was powered by the wind. Using fans, the students competed in a race that tested the design of their wind sails. The lesson concluded with a shared discussion that challenged the students to identify key features of their designs that contributed to their success.

Students in second grade explored buoyancy and used the engineering design process to build a boat for the Float Your Boat Challenge. Using provided materials, the students planned, designed and built a boat. Their designs were put to the test as “cargo” was loaded to determine how much weight their boats could hold.

The school’s third graders used a computer-assisted design program called TinkerCAD to design a unique, custom keychain. The keychains were printed on the STEAM Lab’s 3D printer.

Fourth graders took part in the “Egg Drop Eggstravaganza,” where they explored gravity, energy and momentum. They used the engineering design process to plan, gather materials and build a container to house their egg. On Drop Day, they watched how well their design safeguarded the fragile egg when dropped off the roof of the building.

Date Added: 6/24/2024