Newspaper Table Challenge

Period 2

Today students were challenged to build the tallest table to support a ream of paper entirely out of newspaper and tape.  The groups had 25 minutes to complete their designs.  Most used a version of rolled tubes to support the weight of the ream of paper.  We learned from our Marshmallow Challenge of the importance of a sturdy base so many groups devised structures that were wide and strong.  Nearly every group built a supporting table. . .not all groups realizing that we were going for height and not aesthetics!

For our next design challenge we will be building self-propelled cars!

Period 3

Mystery Tube Challenge

This week students built prototypes and drew models to account for the behavior of a mystery tube.  The mystery tube is a solid tube with three strings that are taut against the side of the tube and just one string hanging.  When any one string is pulled, the protruding string retracts. . .yes, any string!!!

Students, given only three observations of the way that the tube worked had to draw their first model of the inside of the mystery tube.  After making additional observations (that didn't include destroying, opening, or dropping the tube) they constructed a second model.  The next day I brought out a variety of tubes, strings, and other objects that they could use to build a working prototype.  Below is one of the prototypes built by a team of students from 2nd period.

Ms. P's Physical Science Class "Rocks" the First Design Challenge

Olivia, Griffin, Emmanuel,
& Noah_Period 7

On Wednesday, August 21, 2013, Ms. Pinta's classes participated in the "Marshmallow Challenge" by building structures to support a marshmallow.  The towers consisted of 20 strands of spaghetti, 1 yard of tape, and 1 yard of string.  Teams were given 18 minutes to complete the challenge.  Towers ranged from 11 1/2 inches to 29 inches high.  In all, 14 out of 18 team built standing structures. . .13% higher than the national average!

It was interesting to watch the students as they encountered their first collaborative project in physical science.  Some groups spent time organizing their materials, others brainstormed and planned their structures,  some sketched ideas on paper, and others went right to building prototypes.  

One group commented that they wished that they had planned a bit more before they started building because "once you start you already have (committed to) a working idea" its difficult to re-design it completely (Wes & Clay, Period 8).  Their sentiment was echoed by those that had wished that they had planned for a more stable base.  This lead to a discussion of "center of gravity" and shapes (triangle and pyramids) that provide a more stable structure than the teepee structure that seemed to be popular with the students.

The discussion, though, did not end with the "physics" of the structure.  We also discussed the collaborative nature of this challenge.  One group wrote that what they learned from this experience was "to work as a group and as a team (and to) not argue" (Olivia, Quinn, & Pablo, Period 3).  Another group stated that what they felt was most important was "to use everyone's ideas to help make the tower better" (Emma, Riley, & Derek, Period 7).  

Addison, Elizabeth, & Thomas
_Period 8

What was ironic about the challenge is that when I picked my daughter up from school yesterday and asked her "what did you do today in school?" she replied, "We built sculptures out of spaghetti, tape, string, and marshmallows."  I emailed her teacher and we, by email, brainstormed how we could facilitate our students sharing their successes and insights with each other.  In class today the teams met to write letters and share pictures of their designs with the 5th grade students at Tremont.  The Tremont teachers and I hope to be able to bring our students together at some point during the year to collaborate on a different design challenge.  We hope that the two groups will benefit greatly from working (and designing) together!

Build a Tower, Build a Team

Marshmallow Tower

Welcome to Physical Science!  I hope this year will be a challenging and rewarding year for your student.  I am excited to get started and to give you a preview of what challenges are store for your child, please take a moment to watch Tom Wujec's TED Talk about our first challenge.  We will be completing the "Marshmallow Challenge" (sshhh, it's a surprise!) along with other design challenges aimed at nurturing creativity, innovation, teamwork, or an entrepreneurial mindset.  These design challenges provide great opportunities for experiential learning and can provide the motivation and encouragement for students to break through hidden assumptions and traditional thought patterns.  I firmly believe that each student possesses a wealth of creativity and imagination and it is my goal to capitalize on their strengths in relation to these design challenges.  They will be asked to "think outside the box" and to collaborate in a mulitdisciplinary approach to tackle these challenges.  Of course, learning will be greatly improved by helping students to reflect on their experiences. . .so get ready to ask your sons and daughters lots of questions after the challenges have been completed.  By subscribing to this blog you will receive updates about our challenges and, perhaps, get involved in one yourself!

Calling All Scientists!

In the upcoming weeks we will investigate what scientists really do.  If you are a scientist, in a science-related field or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics), we want to hear from you!  Perhaps you would like to share with us a research article that you authored, perhaps you would share with the class what you do, perhaps you'd be available for a student interview, or perhaps you would arrange for a tour of your facilities. . .please contact me if you can assist.  If you're not employed in a STEM-related field but are a science-minded person, or share an passion in science phenomena or topics, please tell us about any interesting articles, videos, or blogs that you encounter.  We might just explore them in  upcoming class discussions.  We also discuss the relationship between science and various other disciplines such as art, philosophy, religion, history, technology, and society. . .so if there's something really cool to discuss please share!!!

If I Were a Scientist What Kind of Scientist Would I Be?

In our last unit Ms. Pinta's physical science students investigated how objects move. . .how to analyze and measure motion as well as how to explain, using Newton's Laws, why objects move the way that they do.  We concluded the unit by asking the MYP question "What moves me?"  We accomplished this last week by investigating the question "What kind of scientist would I be?"  As they investigated different scientific fields they attempted to relate their career choice to their life goals, interests, and learning/thinking styles.  They also connected their interest in their chosen profession to the legacy of the scientific field to future generations.  This week's SDS also focuses on answering the MYP question.  Students are to view the trailer and several clips from the newly released movie "Finding Joe," which I had the opportunity to see (and meet the director/writer) in Seattle this fall.  If you haven't heard of the video I would strongly encourage you to take a look.  The video is inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell whose work was dependent on both the teachings and theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.  Campbell's best known work concerns

Car Crash Safety

Calspan Car Crash Test

If you are at all like me, you might have some concern (well, a lot of concern really) about your child getting behind the wheel of a car.  I am often frightened by the thought of my own son and daughter coming of age and going through this "rite of passage."  As they feel the exhilaration of their new found freedom, I worry that they will not embody caution and exercise restraint as they experience the power associated with exerting their independence.  This is why I decided to incorporate a car safety unit into our curriculum.  We will examine car crashes using Newton's Laws, momentum, and energy.  We will look at car safety features that are the "first line of defense" in a car crash: the seat belt.  We will conduct a laboratory investigation of different restraint systems and their ability to reduce injuries of the occupants during a collision.  We will consider new technologies that have enabled car travel to become even more safe for passengers.  We will also consider attitudes and actions around car driving behaviors by examining personal choices (wearing seat belts, driving fast, cell phone use, texting,etc.) we make while driving and reflect on the effect those choices might have.  Finally, the students will be asked to complete one of the following activities.  Any support you can offer to complete the assignment is greatly appreciated.

1.  Use transparent occupant overlays to reenact different crash scenarios and determine where the occupants might strike the inside of the vehicle if they were not restrained and what their injuries might be.

2.  Interview a doctor or chiropractor about injury mechanisms and the extent of injuries associated with crashes at different speeds.  Report your findings to the class.

3.  Interview a medical examiner about how he/she matches injuries to various impact points on the inside of a vehicle to establish seating position, use of restraints, etc.  Report your findings to the class.

4.  Talk to an insurance claims specialist or fraud investigator about insurance fraud and the cost to other policy holders.  Report your findings to the class.

5.  Go to salvage yard and look for evidence that a driver or occupant struck the windshield or inside of a vehicle.  Look for evidence of seat belt use such as damage to the belt latching system, etc.  Report on what you have found.

6.  Discuss the use of laminated safety glass for windshields.

7.  Interview a personal injury attorney about the process of seeking recovery in a personal injury case.  Detail what you find out during the interview.

8.  Research the chronology of “crumple zones” and the physics of this concept.

9.  Itemize the safety features of a modern car and a pre-1930’s car.  Present your findings.

10.  Interview an auto body repair technician about the characteristics of damaged vehicles, unibody construction, “crumple zones,” and safety features of vehicles.  Discuss the important details of your interview.

11.  Research the safety features included in race cars, i.e. NHRA, NASCAR, INDY

12.  Speak to a state legislature representative to learn about the history/impact of seat-belt laws in Ohio or research the evolution of seat belt laws in Ohio.  Report your findings.
13.  Write a persuasive paper on limiting or extending seat belt laws in Ohio.