Our various and sundry building materials have been arriving in a steady flow. It's so much fun to witness the looks of sheer glee when heavy brown boxes arrive in our classroom each afternoon. We are stockpiling batteries, circuits, and magnets aplenty. We will soon learn to program simple bots that consist of a motor, a battery, recyclable materials, and lots of ingenuity.
Today we learned what STEM stands for. It was definitely a learning moment for me today, when I realized how often I throw around this beloved acronym, all without making sure that students know what it really is. We slowed down a bit today to discuss how the components of science, technology, engineering, and math really work so well together.
Then it was time for physics. We got deep - I mean, really deep - as we discussed the concepts of force, matter, and acceleration. There was heated discussion about how many atoms are in our own bodies. We even tried to ascertain how the earliest scientists discovered the existence of atoms.
Heavy, I'm telling you. But I don't think I've ever been in such an excited classroom - it was so quiet and focused that I think I could hear neurons firing.
Then it was time to test these new concepts. We split up into three groups. We had the following materials available to us:
dowels
pegboard
cups
pipe insulation
pipe corners
any recyclable material that could be found in the classroom
Our mission, which we gladly chose to accept, was to construct a ramp capable of guiding a marble from top to bottom.
Force, mass, and acceleration. All wrapped up in a tiny (and exciting) bundle.
1 comment:
Dare I admit that I wish, no needed, to be in this classroom today. I would definitely have been delighted but also challenged. The descriptions of this scientific adventure are delightful and the pictures shout out how much fun and intrigue is involved in this amazing classroom. Dian Shanley
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