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Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Family Design Challenges Kit from Pitsco Education : A TOS Crew Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way

Family Design Challenges Kit from Pitsco Education

Looking for some fun learning? We have been enjoying the Family Design Challenges Kit from Pitsco Education.

This kit is designed for your 3-8th graders, but the entire family can get in on the fun. It comes with everything you need to unleash their creativity and critical thinking. Plus - just for our readers- Pitsco Education is giving away a FREE Family Design Challenges Kit - Click HERE for details.

This kit comes with enough materials for 3 weeks of STEM challenges. I love it! The supplies are really a collection of common household objects like straws, clothespins, cotton balls, bottle caps and more. Several of the challenges have some additional common items you'll need to provide.

The challenges use science, technology, engineering and math to get your child engaging their skills in creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving to complete challenges, using the supplies.

The instructional content for this kit was created by the TGR Foundation (Tiger Woods' Foundation) and proceeds go back to the foundation to support high-need students and learning around the world.

The guide is simple, it has 5 days of challenges per week (printed in Spanish and English) for 3 weeks. This could be used in many different ways - as a 3 week STEM camp, or once a week for an entire semester. I think it would make a great Coop class too!

Each day includes:

challenge
list of the supplies the student can use
reflection questions
plus a redesign challenge

At the end of each week, students can use overall design reflection questions and a quote to wrap up the learning.

The challenges involve:

Move the Marbles
Build an Alphabet Block
Build an Arch
Miniature Amusement Park
Spin a Marshmallow
Suspend It
Car Showcase
Parachute
Move the Ping Pong Balls
Go the Distance
Move the Can
Tallest Tower
Move the Cotton Balls
Design a Trampoline

This is the perfect way to beat summer boredom (especially now!) and get them thinking. The challenge instructions are intentionally open-ended to encourage them to think outside the box and come up with their own designs.

My testers loved it!

This challenge was to "Move the Marbles". She set right off gathering the supplies allowed and got to work creating.

I absolutely love that these challenges DON'T tell them how to complete them! They get to try, fail, and go back to the proverbial drawing board to try again.

We decided to pick and choose the challenges they were most interested in. In this challenge, she was challenged to create a "Miniature Amusement Park".

I love the "Redesign Challenge" included with each. For example, "how could your amusement park be redesigned to help provide disaster relief?" They help them focus on real-world examples and uses for their creations.

The supplies included are consumable, but the challenges could be done over and over with new supplies. Seeing each other's creations inspired them. This is a great for the entire family!

We really enjoyed this kit from Pitsco Education. You should check out their other items too! Don't forget -to enter the giveaway for a FREE Family Design Challenges Kit - Click HERE for details.

Other Pitsco Education products the Crew is reviewing:

Elementary STEM Explorer Pack - Grades K-5
Middle School STEM Creator Pack - Grades 6-8
High School STEM Innovator Pack - Grades 9-12
Code Cube Single Kit - Grades 3-5
Smart Buddies at Home - Grades 3-5
Arduino Education Student Kit - Grades 6-12

Find Pitsco Education on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PitscoEducation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pitscoed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitscoed/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pitscoeducation/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PitscoEd

Hashtags: #hsreviews #handsonmindson #PitscoSTEMatHome #ThePitscoExperience #BuiltwithPitsco

See what other members of the Crew thought here

STEM At Your Fingertips - Elementary, Middle & High School STEM Kits {Pitsco Education Reviews}

Thursday, March 21, 2019

STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading from Tied 2 Teaching: A TOS Crew Review

STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading from Tied 2 Teaching

Are you ready to have some fun? We have been having a blast and learning with STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading from Tied 2 Teaching !

STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading comes as a giant download with 65 individual files, each a STEM activity with extras. The extras include a link to a close reading passage, questions related to the reading to test comprehension, the stem design challenge and a variety of worksheets that the student can use to detail what they did, why and what they could do better.

Many of the activities tie into holidays like Valentines, St Patricks Day, and Christmas. These would make great activities to use when you need a break from "regular" school. Don't worry, they will still be learning!

For us, I looked at the list and felt like a kid in a candy store, I got to choose whatever looked great! Since we have a whole household, my testers ranged in age from 9 - 17. The target is 3rd-6th grade.

Let me show you.

First, Hat for the Cat Challenge. Since we have several kitties, my youngest tester thought this one sounded fun. I printed off the challenge instructions, as well as the reading passage. She finished those and went straight to work designing her hat.

I enjoyed watching her think through what materials she would use. The challenge sheet offered suggestions, but not instructions.

Cappy (my cat) was happily sleeping when she became a fashion model for the newest feline headwear. What happened next was my big surprise! My tester had so much fun, she asked if she could make another hat. The learning from this activity kept on going. Even the barbies had hats by the end of the day. Who knows, a future career in fashion design may have just been born while making A Hat For the Cat challenge!

Next up, the House of Cards Challenge. My next tester was excited to get started with her challenge. Build a house of cards, with at least two stories. Seems simple, right? It proved to be a challenge we all ended up trying. We learned what the phrase, "collapsed like a house of cards" really meant!

Some of the extra worksheets in each design challenge can be used to help your student evaluate what they did. I think this would be an excellent class for a Coop setting. She had a difficult time with this one.

I didn't stop our fun to complete the worksheets, but we used them as discussion starters. For instance, in this challenge, it was easier to build on the carpet than it had been on the table. The deck of cards we used made a difference. We were able to discuss the why's behind each change. I think we both learned something new.

Here's where it really got interesting... If you have more than one child, especially if they are boys, give them a design challenge and make it a competition! In the Pipe Cleaner Challenge, my sons took each other on in a competition to build a structure out of pipe cleaners that could hold a cup of 30 pennies at least 4 in. off the table.

Their race was on! Both used different approaches.

Both had to go back and rebuild, learning along the way. Brothers can be sticklers when it comes to precise measurements (especially in a contest!)

They both succeed. With very different designs. The discussions of what worked and why were priceless. I love it when we all get to learn together!

My son was having so much fun, he begged for another challenge. This one was right up his alley, the Dinosaur Building Block Challenge. It's a good thing this one had a time limit because he could do this all.day.long!