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!!!