"In the Windy
Woods"
My students and I agree that Jack's adventure
is a blast!
The premise for this challenge is that Jack
is camping outside and needs a shelter to
protect him from the windy weather (a hair
dryer). Students use craft sticks, index cards, clothespins, tape, and a clipboard to keep Jack safe.
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As with every STEM activity, students start with a plan! After the problem is defined and the materials are revealed, students take several minutes to THINK, DRAW, or WRITE their ideas. I've found that it is imperative to give them time to think independently before sharing ideas within their groups.
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Then the building begins! It is remarkable to watch and listen as the children collaborate. I especially love how no two structures are the same.
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The anticipation is palpable as students wait to test their shelters in the "hurricane" winds. Ready, set, BLOW!
What could be more inviting than a day
"On the Placid Pond"
with Jack?
The sky is blue, the pond is calm, and Jack needs a boat to head out on the water. What kinds of vessels will your students create?
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Jack acts as a gauge for how big the boat needs to be, but pennies are the measure of its weight capacity. How many pennies can the boat hold before it starts taking on water or capsizes?
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***Teacher Tip -- I trim small paper cups (Dixie cup size) so that the base has only a 1/2" rim. I put 10 pennies in each cup. When testing, we add one cup at a time, and count by tens as we stack them inside of the floating boats.
Together with their teammates, students will develop plans, design prototypes, test for buoyancy, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their crafts.
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"From Here to There"
Sometimes getting
is harder than it looks!
Different kinds of bridges serve different purposes. To cross the 18"chasm, Jack needs a hanging bridge.
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What I love best about this challenge is the many different ways the children approach it.
Given the same bag of materials (10 craft sticks, 5 index cards, 2 pipe cleaners, 30" of string, and 15" of masking tape) students design bridges that are uniquely theirs. Afterwards, I invite the class to take a "STEM stroll" around the room to see their classmates' ideas. Inevitably, I hear comments like, "That was a great idea!" or "Wow, this one is so cool!" Then we talk about what inspired them to make those comments. It's remarkable how insightful the kids can be when comparing different design elements. Maybe getting from here to there isn't so hard after all.
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Coming soon...
