There are over 14 new stations or extra learning areas. The stations offer tools and materials that students can use in class projects, and they have time to tinker with these new tools before school and when they come in for checkout.
Learning Commons Stations
Goal: The goal of the LC stations is to provide students time to tinker with a variety of project platforms that support and extend STEM thinking, ITSE Standards, and support the mission of the Addison Learning Commons. The stations help frontload these platforms so that students can start to use these projects for class PBL and inquiry research projects.
Students can visit a station when they come in for checkout or in the morning before announcements. Teachers can also reserve stations to be tailored towards a specific theme or unit of study.
Learning Commons Rules
1. Have a book checked out first
2. Know how much time you have
3. Read the challenge directions carefully
4. Work together with a group (or partner)
5. Clean up before you leave
The focus of the some of the stations will change each month. Others will keep the same directions so that students can learn how to use particular MakerSpace tools.
August: solar eclipse
September: U.S. Constitution/U.S. Symbols
October: spooky science
November and December: story telling
2nd Semester: force, motion, and sound
Station 1: Makerspace Book Display Challenge—stays the same (K-5)
August; build a machine to help characters in stories overcome their problems
September: design a time machine to travel back in time to the setting of the display stories
October: Design a spooky decoration that uses lights or motion. Get ideas from the books at the display.
November: Build something new with the Little Bits
December: closed
2nd Semester: Build something to help one of the characters in the display books
Station 2: Open Access MakerSpace (K-5)
August: free choice
September: design a new bookmark for the Addison Learning Commons to give out to students
October: free choice
November: free choice
December: free choice
2nd Semester: Canjo, Rubber Band Racers, or Little Red’s zipline
Station 3: Fix It Table—stays the same (k-5)
August--broken stapler
September--MakeyMakey electronic kit
October: add on to the tower; use the materials available at the table
November: closed for this month
December: create an invention to solve a problem in your life
2nd Semester: fix the broken electronics
Station 4: Coding Robots—stays the same (mice K-2; ozobots 3-5)
August--code the mice to travel through the 5 phases of the solar eclipse
September--code the mice (k-2) or the ozobots (3-5) to travel over a U.S. symbol
October: Ozobot Corn Maze
November and December: Make a story map of your story using butcher paper and then code you’re a robot to travel along your map; add QR code stops with Seesaw
2nd Semester: program to go thru the maze
Station 5: Collaboration Table (1-5)
August--tinker with Powtoons to see how easy it is to make an animated movie
September--tinker with Storybird to make an online book
October: tell a mystery story using Pixton (comic maker)
November: Make a silly comic about a book your class has read using Toondoo
December: Create a story using the movie making tool, Animoto
2nd Semester: Talk about the picture (force and motion image) using voicethread
Station 6: Green Screen—stays the same (K-5)
August--write a short skit about the eclipse; film it using the green screen app
September--write a short skit about our country and its symbols; film it using the green screen app
October: use the new green screen app (Do Ink) to tell a mystery story
November and December: use the Stickbot app and green screen to make a quick stop animation video
2nd Semester: use the green screen app and the shadow puppets to tell a short puppet show about your favorite hobby OR use the Stikbots to create a short puppet show using that app
Station 7: Fashion Recycle—stays the same (K-5)
August--design a new piece of clothing for Mrs. Nelson to wear on solar eclipse day
September--create a new symbol for Addison and be sure to add an electronic part (see materials at the station); be sure to give it a name and put it on display
October: design a mask that a favorite book character might wear.
November: Design a new bracelet using poptabs and other materials at the table
December: Design a new outfit for the antagonist in a story you are reading; plan it and then build it
January-May: Draw out your new outfit and then use the recycle materials to make it.
Station 8: Bloxels—stays the same (2-5)
August: make a video game about the solar eclipse
September: make a video game about U.S. symbols
October: make a mystery video game
November: Make a video game about a favorite holiday
December-May: Make a video game about a story you have read in class
Station 9: QR code book trailers (1-5)
August: introduction (fiction and everybody)
September: nonfiction
October: mystery stories
November: mystery stories
December: make a book commercial on a book of your choice
2nd Semester: make a QR code about your favorite nonfiction book
Station 10 Lego Challenge (K-5)
August--design an eclipse mural
September--create a new United States symbol; take a picture and load it to the padlet
October: create a story scene that has a beginning, middle, and an end
November: create a story scene that has a beginning, middle, and an end using the lego wall
December: create the setting of your favorite story
2nd Semester: create a new ride at an amusement park…show it in legos.
Station 11: Simplicity Touch Activity (K-5)
August: Destiny demonstrations
September: play a game about the United States
October: solve the mystery
November: play a game about holidays
December: Build a story using zooburst
2nd Semester: Play the sound game
Station 12: IPads—stays the same (k-5)
August: Create poetry using the poetry app
September: Research something new about the United States and find a way to share it using an app
October: find a new app that would be good for us to use here at Addison
November: find a new app that would be good for us to use here at Addison
December: write a story using sock puppets
2nd Semester: free choice
Station 13: Game Central—stays the same (1-5)
September: Jenga
October: Checkers
November: Checkers
December: chess
2nd Semester: pick a game
Station 14: Write your own book—stays the same (k-5
January-May: Use the materials available to write and publish your own book
Learning Commons Stations
Goal: The goal of the LC stations is to provide students time to tinker with a variety of project platforms that support and extend STEM thinking, ITSE Standards, and support the mission of the Addison Learning Commons. The stations help frontload these platforms so that students can start to use these projects for class PBL and inquiry research projects.
Students can visit a station when they come in for checkout or in the morning before announcements. Teachers can also reserve stations to be tailored towards a specific theme or unit of study.
Learning Commons Rules
1. Have a book checked out first
2. Know how much time you have
3. Read the challenge directions carefully
4. Work together with a group (or partner)
5. Clean up before you leave
The focus of the some of the stations will change each month. Others will keep the same directions so that students can learn how to use particular MakerSpace tools.
August: solar eclipse
September: U.S. Constitution/U.S. Symbols
October: spooky science
November and December: story telling
2nd Semester: force, motion, and sound
Station 1: Makerspace Book Display Challenge—stays the same (K-5)
August; build a machine to help characters in stories overcome their problems
September: design a time machine to travel back in time to the setting of the display stories
October: Design a spooky decoration that uses lights or motion. Get ideas from the books at the display.
November: Build something new with the Little Bits
December: closed
2nd Semester: Build something to help one of the characters in the display books
Station 2: Open Access MakerSpace (K-5)
August: free choice
September: design a new bookmark for the Addison Learning Commons to give out to students
October: free choice
November: free choice
December: free choice
2nd Semester: Canjo, Rubber Band Racers, or Little Red’s zipline
Station 3: Fix It Table—stays the same (k-5)
August--broken stapler
September--MakeyMakey electronic kit
October: add on to the tower; use the materials available at the table
November: closed for this month
December: create an invention to solve a problem in your life
2nd Semester: fix the broken electronics
Station 4: Coding Robots—stays the same (mice K-2; ozobots 3-5)
August--code the mice to travel through the 5 phases of the solar eclipse
September--code the mice (k-2) or the ozobots (3-5) to travel over a U.S. symbol
October: Ozobot Corn Maze
November and December: Make a story map of your story using butcher paper and then code you’re a robot to travel along your map; add QR code stops with Seesaw
2nd Semester: program to go thru the maze
Station 5: Collaboration Table (1-5)
August--tinker with Powtoons to see how easy it is to make an animated movie
September--tinker with Storybird to make an online book
October: tell a mystery story using Pixton (comic maker)
November: Make a silly comic about a book your class has read using Toondoo
December: Create a story using the movie making tool, Animoto
2nd Semester: Talk about the picture (force and motion image) using voicethread
Station 6: Green Screen—stays the same (K-5)
August--write a short skit about the eclipse; film it using the green screen app
September--write a short skit about our country and its symbols; film it using the green screen app
October: use the new green screen app (Do Ink) to tell a mystery story
November and December: use the Stickbot app and green screen to make a quick stop animation video
2nd Semester: use the green screen app and the shadow puppets to tell a short puppet show about your favorite hobby OR use the Stikbots to create a short puppet show using that app
Station 7: Fashion Recycle—stays the same (K-5)
August--design a new piece of clothing for Mrs. Nelson to wear on solar eclipse day
September--create a new symbol for Addison and be sure to add an electronic part (see materials at the station); be sure to give it a name and put it on display
October: design a mask that a favorite book character might wear.
November: Design a new bracelet using poptabs and other materials at the table
December: Design a new outfit for the antagonist in a story you are reading; plan it and then build it
January-May: Draw out your new outfit and then use the recycle materials to make it.
Station 8: Bloxels—stays the same (2-5)
August: make a video game about the solar eclipse
September: make a video game about U.S. symbols
October: make a mystery video game
November: Make a video game about a favorite holiday
December-May: Make a video game about a story you have read in class
Station 9: QR code book trailers (1-5)
August: introduction (fiction and everybody)
September: nonfiction
October: mystery stories
November: mystery stories
December: make a book commercial on a book of your choice
2nd Semester: make a QR code about your favorite nonfiction book
Station 10 Lego Challenge (K-5)
August--design an eclipse mural
September--create a new United States symbol; take a picture and load it to the padlet
October: create a story scene that has a beginning, middle, and an end
November: create a story scene that has a beginning, middle, and an end using the lego wall
December: create the setting of your favorite story
2nd Semester: create a new ride at an amusement park…show it in legos.
Station 11: Simplicity Touch Activity (K-5)
August: Destiny demonstrations
September: play a game about the United States
October: solve the mystery
November: play a game about holidays
December: Build a story using zooburst
2nd Semester: Play the sound game
Station 12: IPads—stays the same (k-5)
August: Create poetry using the poetry app
September: Research something new about the United States and find a way to share it using an app
October: find a new app that would be good for us to use here at Addison
November: find a new app that would be good for us to use here at Addison
December: write a story using sock puppets
2nd Semester: free choice
Station 13: Game Central—stays the same (1-5)
September: Jenga
October: Checkers
November: Checkers
December: chess
2nd Semester: pick a game
Station 14: Write your own book—stays the same (k-5
January-May: Use the materials available to write and publish your own book