Science Explorations!

     Our learning about air continues!

Here we "submerge" a candle and watch it burn!  How is it possible?  The beaker traps the air and allows us to push the candle under the water. Once the air inside is burned up, the candle goes out.

Air is strong enough to lift objects!

Designing balloon powered rockets that propel along a string to the other side of the classroom. 

Designing hovercrafts that trap air and create lift!!

Proof of Air

We've been on a quest to prove that air exists. It's tricky because you can't really see it or touch it which is how we prove other things exist. So we have completed several experiments to try and prove that air:  takes up space, has mass, has pressure,  has volume, and that it can be compressed. 

Our experiments have been wet and messy but that's totally cool because often messy learning is the best learning. 

Here we were submerging a paper ball attached to the bottom of a beaker. When we pulled it out, the ball of paper was dry!!!  What does that prove?

Here a bottle covered by a balloon is placed in very hot water. Slowly the balloon inflates!  What does that prove?

Here we pull plungers out of syringes while covering the hole. One girl has her ears covered. Hmmmm?  What's about to happen?

Haunted House RIG

So I challenged my students with a RIG for Halloween. RIG stands for Rapid Idea Generation. Students are given a challenge with a tight time window. It's basically like physical brainstorming. Because they have such little time they need to dive into the project and work collaboratively to solve it efficiently. They don't have time to second guess themselves or for doubt to set in. Afterwards, one person explained their design in the sharing portion. Then the creations were dismantled which is also an important part of the process. 

Today's challenge was to build a model of a Haunted House and then walk the rest of us through it with their description. They could use anything from within the classroom. The creative chaos was super fun to watch and document. Kids create amazing things in 10 minutes......

Author Visit

Sigmund Brouwer was in the house today talking to us about how everyone loves stories. He also explained that writing is a vehicle to share your story. Since we are launching in story starters this upcoming month his visit was well timed!!!

He has free eBooks that can be downloaded at www.rockandrollbooks.com

Trifold Illustrations

Now that we are done reading our class novel, "I Was A Rat", we created 3D illustrations of our favorite scenes. We have learned how to copy quotes and site page numbers so we matched our illustrations to the quotes from the book. These will be available for viewing and taking home on PT conference night, Nov 5th. 

Going Further

So I feel like my last post on plastic cup towers needs a follow up post.  My class successfully completed the challenge which was to build the tallest tower they could given 30 cups and the limits with the two elastics.  It needed good conversation, collaboration, and the willingness to try and experiment as well.  Failure was suffered several times when towers were knocked over (some of them near the end when it happened) but resiliency won out when they simply started all over again.

Risk

Resiliency

Collaboration

THESE are the skills I want to foster in kids when I teach.  Knowing your times tables makes you good at multiplying but you are limited in any further results.  The ability to work together, to risk possible failure, and to know how to work in a team are the skills that carry us forward as contributing citizens of society.

What I also loved was that after the challenge was over.....the kids took it further.  The challenge I gave them wasn't enough.

Let's make one that touches the roof!

Quickly followed by, let's start it on the floor and THEN touch the roof!

Their desire to iterate the original challenge resulted in them challenging themselves, taking things a step further, and experience great levels of success.  Here's the photo evidence of that.

Design Challenge: Plastic Cup Tower

The challenge was to create the tallest tower possible. The problem to solve was that you couldnt touch the cups with your hands!  You had an elastic that a max of two people could use. One hand per person.