Architecting for kids

The budding architects of the Sycamore trails 6th grade gained some hands on experience with basic model building and designed new training facilities for alternative Olympic sports. Being green designers, each design incorporated a renewable energy source and a recycled or reclaimed material. Take a look at their designs . . .

Kangaroo Boxing in Australia. The kangaroos are inside the big box. The fenced in yard has barbed wire to keep the kangaroos in, but allows for the delivery truck to move circulate in and out of the property. If you are in Australia, you can sit in the bleachers and watch the kangaroos train.

Gazelle Track & field in the Sahara Desert. The food and training buildings, which are made of sand, use both solar and wind power. The gazelles use block training to strengthen their legs located at the far end of the facility.

Bulldog Shot Put and Power Lifting in Stonehenge. This solar powered building reclaimed the existing rocks at Stonehenge to form it's new wall. The facility includes a weight lifting area to strengthen the bulldog's jaw muscles and shot put area for the dog to practice.

Elephant Rollerblading in Timbuktu. This facility used solar powered elevator, and a mixture of wind and biomass energy to power the facility. The pygmy elephants use the elevator to get to the second and third levels. Can you find the emergency pole from the tower?

Alligator Wrestling in the Everglades. This facility used the tattered remains from the hurricane disasters to build a new facility. The outdoor wrestling arena has high fence to keep the alligators in and people out. Can you see the solar panels on the roof of the building?

Willy Wonka and the 6th Grade

The 6th graders at Sycamore Trails Elementary put on a production of Willy Wonka II. The screen play was purchased from Disney and was re-written for the stage. Most of the story line was the same as the book / movies. The part that caught me off guard was the music. Not that it was bad by any means, but because there wasn't a piano or musical instrument in sight waiting to be played.

As I mentioned earlier, it was a purchased play from Disney, so it came with all the extras, including music on cd. You simply paused the cd between songs or sound effects. Genius. I might add that the actors were also wearing wireless mics and had an impressive sound system. This was not your father's run-of-the-mill production . . .

Since we had connections, we were able to sit in the front row and see it on opening day / mid-morning. Well, I should clarify. Along with the first graders, we were seated in the first row of seats. The kindergarten classes sat front row. They were on the floor in front of us. Here are a few pictures from the play. How many of the characters do you recognize? (Notice the magnificent squirrel costumes. They were hand-made by my mom.)

Willy Wonka, Charlie and Grandpa Joe.

The 4 grandparents sitting on the bed celebrating Charlie's birthday.

The squirrels at the factory.