Stories

At Fox Hollow Elementary, fifth graders in Jen Sevy’s STEM class have been designing and making robotic creatures, thanks to an Educator Initiative Grant from the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation.

“It is so critical for students to learn the engineering design process,” Sevy explained. “Students are able to practice imagining, designing, creating a prototype, and then improving that prototype, which are skills that will help them in life no matter what path they take.”

Students in Sevy’s class were adjusting their designs as they tested them out with a robotics kit, noting that they might need to change the code depending on their goal. The creatures ranged from penguins to giraffes to birds and students worked to make their creations move and light up.

This project is interdisciplinary, bringing together math, engineering, collaboration, art and other skills. The students enjoyed being able to customize their robotic creations and bring them to life with their own knowledge.

“Our students come to us with so much creativity and potential, and we are lucky as educators to get to help them figure out ways to use their talent,” Sevy said. “Whether they go into robotics or a different field, our students are given the chance to explore new ideas and skills so they can find their passions and interests and grow as people.”