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Puxi Campus G1: A World of Wonder Inside a Maze: First Grade STEAM Week

March 31, 2026

Last week, the first-grade students at Shanghai High School International Division's Puxi Campus experienced their very first STEAM Week. Throughout the week, the children used a variety of materials to design and create an engaging "marble maze." By applying the design thinking process—planning, building, testing, and improving—they explored how to solve a real-world problem: "How can we make our lunchtime more fun?" This project not only sparked creativity but also strengthened teamwork and critical thinking, helping the children understand that learning is a dynamic and iterative process.


On Monday, students officially kicked off the STEAM Week marble maze challenge. At the start of the project, they learned that almost any design goes through a process: identifying a problem, planning a solution, testing and adjusting, refining the design, and sharing the results. In math class afterward, they practiced using rulers to measure and calculate the perimeter of their mazes, applying this information to make their designs more intentional and well-planned.











On Tuesday, students began building their marble mazes based on their designs. Using materials such as shoeboxes, straws, tape, and colorful paper, they constructed winding, intricate tracks. As they built, they started testing whether the marbles could successfully travel through their pathways.











On Wednesday, students worked on improving their designs. Through repeated testing, they observed issues within their structures and worked to solve them. They also redesigned certain sections of their mazes. This process further developed their abilities to identify problems, find solutions, and think critically.











On Friday, students presented their marble mazes in a gallery walk. As they viewed each other's work, they also reflected on their own design process. The children shared their thoughts and experiences, learning from and praising one another, and gained remarkable growth and joy along the way.

















Although the STEAM Week journey has come to an end, the seeds of exploration are taking root and sprouting in the children's hearts. What they have created with their hands is not just the paths of the mazes, but also pathways to infinite possibilities in the future. I believe that in the days of learning ahead, every spark of imagination will blossom and bear fruit through practice.


(Written by Emilie Butcher, Yuanjing Zhang

Pictures by Siying Li

Reviewed by Ms. Zhang Yi, Jenny Zhang, Shiyu Wu)