Gum Ball Sorting Machine Engineering Project

Posted on October 13, 2011 by celliott1

Middle School Students followed the engineering process to invent and create machines that can sort gum balls according to size. First they identified a problem — to sort gumballs by size — then they brainstormed solutions, designed, built and tested … Continue reading →

Posted in Light and Color, Middle School Science, Unit One -- What is Science? | Leave a comment

Engineering a Spaghetti Tower — the Marshmallow Challenge

Posted on September 12, 2011 by celliott1

Students in all grades worked in teams to build towers of uncooked spaghetti, 1 meter of masking tape, and one meter of string. Like all engineers, they worked with limited resources, and had to adhere to a strict time limit … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011-2012 School Year, Unit One -- What is Science? | Leave a comment

What do Scientists Do? Using the Icons of Depth and Complexity to look deeply into the work of scientists

Posted on September 20, 2010 by celliott1

TCPS students worked in teams to research particular scientists from a number of different perspectives, using the Icons of Depth and Complexity posted in the science room. The Icons of Depth and Complexity are symbols that help organize and deepen … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle School Science, Unit One -- What is Science? | Leave a comment

What Do Scientists Look Like?

Posted on September 20, 2010 by celliott1

According to the Sally Ride Science Foundation, when many students are asked to draw a scientist, they draw a white man with crazy hair performing a mad mixture of science and magic, creating wild, exploding concoctions. Such an assignment can give … Continue reading →

Posted in Grades One - Two Science, Grades Three - Five Science, Unit One -- What is Science? | Leave a comment

What is Science — Discovering the Scientific Process

Posted on September 20, 2010 by celliott1

TCPS scientist have been hard at work discovering what it means to be a scientist. Students used soil as a medium for discovering for themselves the process that they need to go through as a scientist to find out the … Continue reading →

Posted in Grades One - Two Science, Grades Three - Five Science, Middle School Science, Unit One -- What is Science? | Leave a comment