Welcome to IE2

Dear Parents,

Hopefully your child has mentioned Abel Elementary’s IE² Program or “Engineering” for short. Students have built a great amount of enthusiasm for learning from this program and we are very grateful to have it here at Abel for the third consecutive year. This year we will be studying Force & Motion, Power & Energy and Robotics.  These units will give your child an opportunity to explore and look more closely at the technological world by using research and inquiry skills with the engineering design process.

Your child will work with other members of their class to build models or prototypes of devices in order to solve challenges and learn the skills within each unit.

There are several opportunities for you to be involved in your child’s learning throughout this time.  You can donate materials such as fabric, odds and ends of wood, empty thread spools and Styrofoam trays.  You can also discuss different man-made objects around you that have been designed and built by engineers; or maybe they can tell you!

Look out for some prototypes that will be making their way home!

Please feel free to call or check out my website for any further information or feedback.

Mrs. Freeman

freemane@manateeschools.net

(941) 751-7040 ext. 2040

Power & Energy Unit

Engineering Update

This week Abel Eagles started working on a new unit of instruction in IE^{2 (}Inspiring Elementary Engineering).  Power & Energy is a unit of study in which students will be learning about the various methods of acquiring energy and renewable and non-renewable resources.  Our lessons will utilize our newest Lego purchase: the motorize mechanisms set.  This manipulative allows students to create Lego designs that move with battery power.  Students will design and build different models of renewable and non-renewable energy sources and grades 3-5 will research various types of energy as a team to present to their class. 

TSA Wins 1st Place at Districts!

Abel’s all star engineering club, TSA, competed at Manatee County’s District Catapult Competition Saturday, February 16^th.  Teams worked together to build a catapult for 2 tests: distance and accuracy.  Each team had a set of materials and limited duct tape and hot glue to use.  They had 1 hour to build and practice using their catapult.  Angellina Haile and Jaylah Deveaux took home first place with a total score of 41 points!  8 other elementary schools competed including Freedom, McNeal, Prine, Daughtrey, Tillman, Braden River and Sea Breeze.  We are so proud of our TSA students!

 Coordinator: IE² Teacher Elvita Freeman

What is Inspiring Elementary Engineering?

IE2 is designed to teach children how to utilize the Engineering Design Process, which includes a 5-step method from finding the problem, exploring ideas, blueprinting, building, testing, retesting and then sharing the solution. We will be emphasizing the use of problem solving which includes several math skills in the process. Our goal is to give your child the opportunity to apply and supplement their math and science skills through hands-on engineering.