Makerspace MBUSD

06/09/2023

Pennekamp Elementary School third-graders made their final visit to their Makerspace classroom for the school year. They worked hard at designing and building a CARNIVAL GAME that was inspired by the video Caine's Arcade. In the two-part challenge, the planning and building first occurred; then finishing touches and playing all of the games were in the second visit.

In teams of 2 or 3, the game had to be named, the instructions for the game had to be written down, and the students had to discuss what they observed about force and motion. Most of that discussion occurred while Makerspace Specialist Sharon Shambaugh played each of their games. The variety of games included The Claw Game, Foosball, Pinball, Ball Pitch, Miniature Golf, Hockey, Basketball Throw, and many more. And, many of the students even made their prizes to give to the winners of their game.

These students are leaving this year behind and coming to Makerspace every two weeks, then returning as fourth-graders visiting the Dragon Den only once a month.

Makerspace Specialist Sharon Shambaugh says “I will miss all of their inquiring minds and happy faces. I hope they keep up their Maker skills over the summer.”

05/18/2023

Recently the Pacific 5th grade built working windmills.

They learned about William Kazmkwamba, a Malawian teenager who built a windmill from junk and scrap pieces, which brought electricity and running water to his drought-ravaged village.

Using their knowledge of Kinetic energy and engineering skills, the students were able to turn tennis ball containers and other repurposed materials into miniature, functioning windmills.

A fan was used to simulate the wind power. Some were incredibly fast and efficient. The students were impressed with how a little bit of knowledge and grit can solve real-world problems.

Thank you to Teri Hechter Hampton for sharing this story!

05/14/2023

Students programmed Ozobots to be like ants to carry leaves to burrows for farming, or to build towers above ground to passively cool and oxygenate underground farms and burrows!

These tiny robots follow commands by reading color codes. Students drew a map of the ant colony and coded the map. If they tested the code and it didn’t work, students worked on finding a solution!

Thank you to Meadows Makerspace Specialist Crista Riccio for sharing this story.

04/28/2023

Students in Mrs. Weiss’s 4th grade class participated in the Bucket Challenge where they helped the people of "Engineeria" raise pennies above ground because of the incoming rain.

With just limited supplies, students must figure out how to use those supplies to make a bucket which when suspended will hold the pennies without collapsing, touching the sides of the bucket, and must swing freely.

The fun and challenging lesson incorporates the use of 12” of tape, 12” of string, and eight straws. Makerspace Specialist Valerie Edwards says it was a great lesson for Earth Week as it demonstrated how to not be wasteful, and that with limited supplies you can get the job done.

04/20/2023

Pennekamp Elementary School 4th graders were busy bees at their recent Makerspace class. They participated in a 2-part 3D Honey Bee Challenge to learn about how a bee colony works, and how to make hexagon shapes and build on their 3D pen skills.

The hexagon was the shape inside the beehive and the 3D pen shapes were collected to join them together to create a Makerspace ‘hive’.

Then, the challenge for each student was to create two bees…one to take home and one to leave in the Dragon Den for the Makerspace hive.

In making these 3D bees, the students demonstrated that honey bees have a total of four wings that attach to their thorax.

A second 3D Honey Bee visit to Makerspace is already scheduled so all the 3D honey bees may be finished. The Makerspace hive will be finished soon and all the 2nd bees will be placed in or around it.

It was a great example of how a ‘colony’ of Gr 4 students can work together.

04/12/2023

Pacific Elementary School second graders built "Gratitude Trees" out of recycled materials and paper recently. The object was to create a free-standing tree with a way to attach leaves. On the leaves, the students wrote things they were grateful for and attached them to their tree.

They used different attachment techniques and engineering skills to achieve this challenge. There were many unique and lovely creations for which the students were able to acknowledge their gratitude and share their positivity. It was a feel-good day in the Makerspace lab. This took place during MBUSD's Social and Emotional Learning Week!

Thank you to Makerspace Specialist Teri Hampton for sharing this story!

Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD)

03/28/2023

Our weekly feature is from Meadows Elementary School Makerspace Specialist Crista Riccio! Her students participated in the challenge that asked students to plan, build, and test a working electric guitar. 🎸

Students used a Makey Makey kit, cardboard, and tinfoil.

The project was aligned with the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) such as asking questions to determine the cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other, making observations to provide evidence, applying scientific ideas to create a device that converts energy from one form to another to name a few.

03/17/2023

Makerspace at Robinson this week was all about St. Patrick's Day!

Students took on the Leprechaun Challenge! Using recyclable materials, kindergarteners built a trap to try and catch a leprechaun. The trap was to include an inclined plane, a pulley, or a lever made uniquely by them. Check out these amazing projects! 🌈

03/07/2023

This week we are featuring our Pennekamp Dragons! Pennekamp Elementary School

We all know the folk tale of the Gingerbread Man. Pennekamp's Kinders in Ms. Smith's class were challenged to help their Gingerbread man cross a river by building a bridge.

The Kinders learned that bridges are for people, vehicles, and even animals. A bridge helps to cross over an open space like water, a road, or a railway.

By pairing up in teams of two, Kinders strengthened their collaboration, teamwork, and kindness skills.

The E in STEAM is Engineering and these Kinders sure showed they have what it takes to be our future bridge-building engineers.

Thank you to Pennekamp Makerspace Specialist Sharon Shambaugh for sharing this story!

03/01/2023

The MBMS STEM EXPO takes place tomorrow! You won't want to miss out on the fun!

02/24/2023

The benefit of open ended Makerspace projects! Yes 🙌

12 Likes, 0 Comments - Two Bit Circus Foundation () on Instagram: "Our CEO Dr. Leah Hanes explaining why our Project Kits are different. HINT: They make kids use their 🧠 - LINK IN OUR BIO!"

02/21/2023

This week we are showcasing the amazing work in Crista Riccio’s Makerspace class at Meadows Elementary School. The focus of the lesson featured the arts, the science of visual perception, and technology.

Students sketched a perspective drawing using a horizon line and a vanishing point. The Infinity Mirror challenge appears to have depth through the technique.

The project is inspired by the Infinity Room at the Broad Museum by artist Yayoi Kusama in downtown Los Angeles, creating the illusion of infinite space using mirrors and LEDs!