New STEAM Unit: Simple Machines

By Anonymous -

For all of March, we are studying simple machines and physics in STEAM. By the end of this unit, groups of students will each build a Rube Goldberg machine demonstrating at least four of the six different types of simple machines and at least two of Sir Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion. Each complex machine must accomplish a task such as breaking an egg or lighting a lightbulb. In Literacy each student will also produce a technical presentation to explain their learning and their machine.

So far the students have researched simple machines and Newton’s laws of motion and are starting to design their machines. All of the construction work will be accomplished during class time, but students may need to take some materials from home with your permission.

Here are two examples of their research:


Parents are invited to view our finished products and ask questions at the Presentation Day on Wednesday, April 1st, from 1:20-2:10pm.

Lauren Cremean, T & L Teacher Intern

Popular posts from this blog

Recently...

By Anonymous -
Image
Students studied the rules for possessive nouns.  The placement of that little apostrophe changes everything! Students created cartoons that demonstrate the difference between singular and plural possessives. Here are a couple things we noticed about their work: The students' drawings are creative. Each student's idea is unique. Students have been completing projects in math. Fourth grade students are ordering fractions on a number line.   The fifth graders are working hard, too. Fifth graders are learning good note taking skills and are using that skill to inform their understand of reciprocals and the inverse property. All of this is part of their study of fraction multiplication and division. Students went to free cone day!
Read more

More than One Way to Solve a Problem

By -
Image
Have you ever used the Egyptian method for large digit multiplication? How about the Mayan? Did you know there were different algorithms and methods for solving these types of problems? Fifth grade math students did some research and created displays on algorithms from around the world. Students have been refining and improving their accuracy and efficiency with the United States standard algorithm   During our course of study, the Investigations curriculum asks the students to use at least two ways to solve multi digit multiplication problems. Many have relied on the box method. Because of this study of world algorithms, we have seen the students pick up more strategies to bring to their mathematical problem solving.
Read more

Summary by Justus

By -
Nicholas Benedict is an orphan. When he finds out about a treasure, he starts hunting. But Mr. Collum, the orphanage director, is searching too. Who will find it first? Or will they find it at all? Find out in The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict .
Read more