Our first-grade students at Apache Elementary just wrapped up their CKLA Unit on Early World Civilizations, and they took their learning to the next level with an exciting STEM activity using Bee-Bots. Go, Tigers!
This CKLA unit focused on Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Students learned about fascinating landmarks and innovations, including the pyramids of Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the mighty Nile River. To bring their learning to life, students created detailed maps featuring these landmarks, showing what they had learned about geography, history, and engineering.
In Ms. Davonne John’s class, students were challenged to include a bridge in their maps so their Bee-Bots could safely cross the river. This extra element encouraged creativity and teamwork as students problem-solved together.
Each group of three students began by sketching a small version of their map on letter-sized paper. They then collaborated to create a larger, poster-sized version that combined everyone’s ideas. Along the way, they practiced valuable life skills like cooperation and compromise, learning how to share ideas respectfully and work through challenges as a team.
Once the maps were complete, the fun continued as students exchanged maps with other groups, testing their Bee-Bots on their classmates’ designs and discovering how others approached the same challenge. This allowed them to appreciate different perspectives.
We want to celebrate Ms. Davonne John, who has been a valued member of the FMS family since 2013 and returned to Apache in 2021. Her creativity and dedication help make learning engaging and meaningful for her students. Nice work!
The Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) program gives students the chance to explore rich topics while developing as readers and writers. By combining reading with hands-on projects like this one, our teachers are making learning both exciting and memorable.
These kinds of lessons are made possible through Farmington Municipal Schools’ partnership with the Ripken Foundation and community partners like Flogistics and New Mexico State University, which have helped bring STEM Labs to all of our elementary schools. With tools like the Bee-Bot, students build early foundations in counting, sequencing, and problem-solving.