BUILDING connections in the classroom

Engineers, contractors and carpenters all build in their professional lives, but most people use building skills in their personal lives as well. Learning the basics of building not only prepares students for their future careers but also aids them with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Read more about how Schilling Farms Elementary is benefitting from Collierville Education Foundation building grants.

Building basics

As babies stack and topple towers, they develop fine motor skills and the basics of building. Teachers in elementary school classrooms capitalize on their progress by investing in Tinker Toys, kits composed of rods and wheels that connect to create structures. With accompanying lesson plans, students engage with them in groups and on their own, learning how to collaborate and communicate while also increasing their spatial awareness and sharpening math skills.

Engineering

Only a handful of students in Collierville will pursue careers in aeronautics, but there are lessons to be learned no matter a child’s professional ambitions! Learning to build and construct model airplanes teaches elementary students the basics of the engineering design process. Using materials provided by CEF, students designed and set up experimental model gliders and put their hard work to the test by sending them soaring through the air. If the gliders go the distance, their engineering process was a success. If the glider fails to reach its potential, it teaches students valuable problem-solving skills. Either way, a lesson is learned thanks to these experimental model gliders!

Robotics

Robots may not seem like your typical school subject, but at Schilling Farms Elementary, students have the opportunity to study the technology behind robotics. IQ kits provided to the class teach programming, sensors and automation. Thinking computationally and innovatively in elementary school is uncommon, but great preparation for future endeavors. These technology lessons inspired the school to establish a competitive robotics team.

CEF is proud to provide schools with grants that enrich lessons in the classroom. If you would like to learn more about grants that CEF has supplied for Collierville Schools, please visit our website.