The 2026 4th Grade Shark Tank was a success! Our fourth grade students worked hard brainstorming their own inventions and innovations, creating presentations, and writing a speech to give their pitch. The project continued to expand their technological skills by incorporating the use of Tinkercad, an online program that students used to create a 3D model of their product!
Many of the students felt that the project-based learning approach was fun and different than the typical school assignment. “It was a lot more special than an ordinary ELA unit,” said fourth grader, Nora Bowman. Bowman was one of the many students who came into fourth grade with their idea ready to go. “I’ve had my idea since first grade,” is what she told her class on the second day of fourth grade! The fourth grade teachers enjoy this project because it gives students the opportunity to be imaginative and think outside of the box. It not only showcases their writing abilities, but allows their creativity to come to life through their slideshows and models.
The students leaned into the professionalism of the project, dressing business-like and maintaining a professional attitude when giving their pitch to the “sharks.” This year’s sharks included several parents as well as Superintendent, Dr. Sonntag. Sonntag even wore a shark onesie to get into the spirit! This year’s class was fantastic with their support and encouragement of others. Public speaking can be a scary task and the students worked hard to practice their speaking skills to be confident and comfortable in front of students, staff, sharks, and families! They gave peer feedback and took it to heart to adjust their presentations to be the best they could!
When asked what she learned from Shark Tank, Berkley Benson stated that she learned to, “persevere through it, try your best, and don’t give up!” Students also learned to be patient and roll with the unexpected. “Some of the little kids walked away in the middle of my speech but I still tried my best and worked hard,” said Brodie Karns. The students loved having the younger classes come in to listen. It’s extra special when your kindergarten buddy walks up to you and shows excitement about every slide or piece of your model!
Overall, the students did a fantastic job! The fourth grade team looks forward to the next project!
Written By: Bethany Billips, Jaden Frantzen and Emma Lackey, HBR 4th Grade Team
