6th Grade

An object or invention created conciously by animal or human, changing the nature of something to make work more efficient or simplify life.

- 6th grade class STEM1

After reflecting about the changes that computers have undergone since ENIAC was introduced, 6th grade students spent a day looking at trends for the future.  Devices seem to be getting smaller, but there is a point where our current input and output systems are difficult to use, size-wise.  Some keyboards are already too small for hands to type comfortably, and some screens are small enough that users sit hunched over to read the tiny writing.

Students used Microsoft Paint and Word to create computers of the future, taking into consideration portability and function. Here are a couple of standout examples:

Rachel designed a wearable, translucent computer

Rory's computer is a desk, and the desk is a computer

Jac is still out of town with the 7th grade, but the 6th grade continues to learn about computers by using another technology – books!  6th graders used encyclopedias and dictionaries from 1938 to 2006 to define “computer” and “internet.” They had to find copyright dates so that they could make accurate judgments as to the invention of modern definitions and use throughout time.

The discussion turned to ENIAC, the first general purpose super-computer developed at the University of Pennsylvania in 1943 with help from the U.S. Government. Students went down to Green Lake with a tape measure to plot out the size of this early monstrosity (40′ by 40′ packed up, 100′ by 50′ unwrapped). They talked about the power of this early computer as compared to common devices such as an iPod or cell phone.

As is becoming tradition this time each year, 6th grade students heard the story of Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and his poor password choice that caused him a full year of grief, confusion, fear and a detective that ends up in a nuclear power plant (please note: the Wired.com article contains direct quotes with strong language).

Determined to avoid such a fate when they become world-renowned for their talents, students spent a few minutes coming up with ideas of how to keep passwords safe and protected:

• Don’t share your password with ANYONE (except your parents)
• Don’t use a word that is in the dictionary – try a phrase or make up a word instead
• Use UPPER and lowercase letters, numb6er5 and $ymbols

We did some teamwork to encrypt some simple words: butterfly became 6uTTerF!y?, hacker became H@c1<eR, snowboard became $n0w80@rd.  Once we were sure we were safe, the 6th grade logged onto our new Windows 7 machines for the first time and set intelligent passwords!