First graders have started their years of exploration in Spectra! They will explore different thinking skills and have already started by learning about Detective Thinking. After being introduced to Dudly the Detective, they learned to look for clues when solving for the answer to a problem.

Second grade wrapped up their unit on Invasive Species by creating a Public Service Announcement. Their PSA was created using iMovie Trailor and informed their audience about cane toads, the Engineering Design Process, and their trap.

Third grade has been exploring different planets in our solar system. They selected planets they would be most interested in learning more about and then creating a colony for that planet. I look forward to seeing how they combine their critical and creative thinking skills to design their colonies.

Fourth grade is currently working on our bridge unit. After learning about various styles of bridges and materials, they had to select a location over the Missouri River to build a bridge. They are currently building the bridge model and designing a persuasive presentation for MODOT while working to the strengths of the people on their team.

Fifth grade has been learning about the key elements of architecture and the history of architecture in the United States. They just selected a building in the STL area to complete additional research and then create a facade of that building. Eventually, they will create a documentary about their buildings.

Most grade levels have been set up with a Breakout EDU account. This allows students to work on their critical thinking as they attempt to 'break out' of a digital space by solving different lock combinations. They can also try and solve these at home (or with the family) by logging into their account from home.