Project Plum

We did it! We're wrapping up and celebrating a successful FUNdraising campaign for Project Plum. 

As you may recall, we began a fundraising campaign back in early December to help support the initiatives of the Plum Island Foundation. With two school store events and our classroom note card and bookmark holiday orders, we raised a total of $439! Our donation is being mailed to PIF today where they will put the funds toward their efforts to install a barrier at Reservation Terrace, which will help guard the homes, the people, and the infrastructure in the surrounding area. 

These kids are an amazing example of what it means to be engaged and active citizens in our community.

Small Hands, Big Hearts

 

Learners in "The Hive" participated in a local community service project on January 13, supporting an initiative led by the Community Giving Tree here in Boxford. The Community Giving Tree's mission is to help low-income families in northeastern MA raise healthy children by providing recycled clothing, baby equipment, and other basic necessities. Every year, CGT distributes these much-needed items to more than 10,000 children. One of the items they look for, particularly during the cold-weather season, is new blankets. Our learners decided to earn a few dollars by doing extra chores around the house and in their neighborhoods. They then donated their earnings toward the purchase of materials needed to make no-sew fleece blankets.

Children worked together to make a total of nineteen double-sided, fleece blankets. It was great fun to see how much enjoyment they were getting out of making them, knowing the blankets would eventually make their way into grateful hands.

Small hands, big hearts. #wearemakingadifference

Shaking Things Up!

 

We're knee-deep into our investigation of plate tectonics and how seismic activity can be a powerful force in changing the landscape of our planet. Our discoveries naturally led to an earthquake engineering challenge where students were presented with an opportunity to design, create, and test a variety of structures that could potentially withstand an earthquake. We utilized real-life structural design strategies that would help minimize the effects of an earthquake, including cross-bracing, tapered geometry, and base isolation. This experience led to many interesting discoveries about structural engineering challenges in fault zones. Students were later asked to analyze their data from the test phase of the challenge and drew conclusions about which materials and structural techniques offered the most successful outcomes. Look out world - we've got some future civil engineers ready to roll up their sleeves and relocate to the San Andreas fault zone. This week's guest bloggers share their engineering experiences. Enjoy. 

If I were to build a structure near a fault zone, I would probably use base isolation underground so that the energy from an earthquake could be transferred to the base instead of the structure. The materials I would use would be wood and steel and I would use the cross-bracing technique to make the structure sturdy. It may not look pretty, but I think it would withstand an earthquake!  - @PickleKitty

If I had to build a structure in an area of a fault zone, I would make the base out of concrete and use the base isolation technique so that the base is actually separate from the structure. I would make the walls out of wood and use steel to cross-brace all of the walls in the structure. All of these reinforcements would make a strong structure.  - @NonCat

If I were to build a structure in a fault zone, I would use steel and wood because those materials are flexible. I would use wood for the frame and steel for cross-bracing.  - @G-Money

If I were to build a structure in an area of a fault zone, I would use steel cross-braces so that it is sturdy. Under the structure, I would use base isolation to reinforce the base so that my structure does not fall. At the top of my structure, I would use tapered geometry so that my structure isn't top-heavy.  -@Cheeto111

If I were to build a structure in a fault zone area, I would use the best materials and techniques possible, depending on the type of structure. For example, if I was building a bridge, I would use steel and cross-bracing for extra reinforcement.   -@Elizabeth_Schuyler

If I were to build a structure in an area of a fault zone, I would use flexible materials that could move and bend with the movement of the earth. I would also use cross-bracing for reinforcement and tapered geometry so the structure would stay balanced.  - @GoatLover