It's a complex topic. But not one that energetic and curious fourth-graders can't comprehend.

Fourth-grade students at Lancaster Mennonite School, 2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, are learning the basics of electronics, robotics and coding. They're being taught those technological disciplines through a project-based learning approach that combines elements of science, engineering, art and math.

"Fourth and fifth are the middle grades," said Jenna Longenecker Conde, a kindergarten through sixth-grade art and design teacher at Lancaster Mennonite who collaborated with fourth-grade classroom instructors to teach the curriculum. "Students have a lot of energy and are motivated to learn. They're more capable of doing things than they were a few years ago. They're sort of at that sweet spot for learning. It feels like a great age to capture that enthusiasm."

A total of 37 students, broken into two classes, meet twice a week to explore the fundamentals of electronics, robotics and coding. Working in small groups, the students complete hands-on projects that promote communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.

"It really can be complex," said Longenecker Conde. "I feel fortunate to be able to work with a team to educate our students about this. They're learning the basics of electricity, like 'How do you let electricity flow?' We try to break them down to their building blocks. The kids take what they've already learned and put it all together."

One of the students' assignments involved creating, testing and redesigning an interactive toy that could perform at least one task or action. After the projects were completed, students shared their work with the rest of the class and showed their fellow students how their projects worked.

"With project-based learning, there's an essential question related to the real world," said Longenecker Conde. "It makes it more authentic because it's a lived experience. Now it makes more sense to learn about things like fractions. It helps students stick to their basics a little more. What we've found is that project-based learning works really well with all subject matters."

Of course, the science exercises can also teach life lessons.

"One of the biggest takeaways is that students have to learn to communicate and work well together," said Longenecker Conde. "They're learning collaboration, they're coming to a consensus and sharing tasks. It involves critical thinking and persistence."

"(The classes are) real courses about how things work in the real world," continued Longenecker Conde. "The students are eager to absorb information. The resources make it easier to introduce it to them. It gets them excited about trying something new."

Lancaster Mennonite School is a faith-based private school with an enrollment of 560 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. It was founded by members of the Mennonite religion in 1942, but over the years it has evolved to include students of varying backgrounds and beliefs.

"There's a lot of hope for future generations," said Lancaster Mennonite's director of marketing and communications, Aubrey Kreider. "The students we work with have a lot of curiosity, and they're excited to learn."

"We're trying to prepare students to change the world," Kreider added.

For additional information about Lancaster Mennonite School, go to http://www.lancastermennonite.org.