As part of celebrating Kid Inventors' Day on Jan. 17, students in Mrs. Porta’s second-grade class learned about Benjamin Franklin, the inventions he created as a child, and the many inventions of his that we still use today. The class also read about the accidental invention of the Slinky, the kid inventor of earmuffs, the invention of the popsicle, and more.

Students then used Lego Science kits with the support of Extended Studies teacher Mrs. Yawman to follow instructions and build an initial cleaning machine to solve the problem of cleaning up toys. Working in teams, they observed how the machine functioned and devised plans to improve it. Students collaborated to change the machine’s shape to improve its performance. They reflected on the Habits of Mind that they employed including: Striving for accuracy, thinking interdependently, and creating, imagining, and innovating. 

The class then extended this thinking and learning with K –5 Instructional Technology Leader Mrs. Fallon in a lesson on designing and building robot prototypes. Students worked together to identify a problem and design and build a robot using a variety of building tools in the Hab Lab. The class designed robots that played with or fed animals that needed attention; collected and sharpened pencils and refreshed erasers; helped people who were lost; and other creative and helpful inventions.