4th graders are busy taking a break from Virtual Worlds as they master electrical circuitry with their Asset Snap Circuit sets.  Progress continues to finalize their STORM STORIES book.

I was thrilled to welcome Miss Bianco’s and Miss Preffer’s second graders to the media lab last week.  They did great learning how to create and color shapes in Google Drive “Drawing.”

Our Unit has them creating a group map of a fictional neighborhood.

They are learning some basic keyboarding skills (right click, left click, insert, select), how to copy and paste images, and then create written directions to follow the paths, turns, and scale of their virtual neighborhoods.

Some activities parents can do at home:

– Look up your address on Google maps. Look at it in street view and in satellite view.
– Have them draw a map of your neighborhood (if you have a computer, see if they can make it in a drawing program such as Paint, Google Drawing, etc.)
– Explore maps at home. What types are in the drawers at home, in the car, in their room (did they keep a map of Kennywood as a souvenir?) Look for the compass rose or North arrow on each map.

– Use a compass to locate the north, south, east, and west of your home. (Smart phones have several free compass apps).
– Make your own compass
– Scouts and adventurers are invited to go for a hike and use a compass and map.  Email me a picture of your child in the woods with their compass and map and I will put it on the board! Instructions on how to use a compass and map.

-Our final week will introduce longitude, latitude, and GPS coordinates. Explore with your child the hobby of geocaching!

Send me your experiences and let me know others ideas to share with Baden Academy families!

Dr. Ellen medialab@badenacademy.org