Low-budget Science

There are some things we are classy about. Like literature. And poetry. We only read the best. It is a non-negotiable.

But in regards to other things we are not so stuck up. Such as science. It is an interesting subject to teach across multiple grade levels, and because of that I am constantly looking for ways to choose one focus that can be differentiated to all my learners. Our supplies are limited. And the science materials tree is not dishing out fruit or money like I would like it to. And so we are low-budget scientific investigators. And it is working out great so far!

We are spending the first half of our year on scientific inquiry, the scientific method, and the design process. We have been asking questions like, how many pennies can I stick to this piece of tape that is hanging off the table before it falls off?

I realize that it sounds a little ridiculous, but we have had amazing opportunities to ask questions, plan experiments, make predictions, and draw conclusions. And I have a few buddies that can definitely benefit from learning how to work in a team or a partnership. Science is perfect for it!

We also made puff-mobiles. Oh yeah, check this one out.

Our goal was to learn the design process. We were given a fixed amount of supplies (a piece of computer paper, 2 paper clips, 50 cm of masking tape, 4 lifesavers, and three drinking straws) and we had to plan and construct some sort of vehicle that would travel across the table with one blow of our breath. After planning and constructing, we learned about the peer review process in which friends check out our design and give possible suggestions for improvement. Then comes the revision process. What a great way to analyze the performance of a design and articulate problems, necessary changes, and possible solutions. 

This multi-age bunch even collectively came up with the rules that would qualify this as a fair experiment. They wrote up the parameters--that each person would have a turn to blow each of the puff-mobiles. Then the results would be collected and analyzed. Mr. 5th grade is currently creating graphs to show the average distance each puff mobile traveled (super fun subject integration!).

We will let you know the final results soon! Even though the kiddos are quickly coming to realize that I care much more about the process through which the mobiles were constructed than about who created the "best". "But don't we win a prize if ours goes the farthest?" Ha. Nice try.