First up are two pics from our school's annual Science/STEM day. Budding scientists in grades K-3 are invited to attend a morning of fun, educational, and engaging science activities. This is the second year that I have chaired the event. My sixth graders helped attend the stations and guided the younger students through the activities, among them: hoopty gliders, Avogadro's rockets, cluck in a cup, balancing peacock feathers on your finger, boinks, reaction rockets, tower building, and MORE (there were 22 stations in all).
We FINALLY finished our marble runs last week. What a fun and engaging STEM activity it was for my sixth graders. They practiced and implemented so many scientific principles of force and motion while having a great time and being creative. I was smart this year. Instead of doing this STEM activity in the spring like I normally do, I decided to do it during the pre-holiday chaos of Christmas program rehearsals and December snow days. No matter how crazy my kiddos got during this time, the marble run brought them back to work in a jif!
The objective is to build a marble run that causes the marble to take the most time to travel. It had to be at least two feet tall, be portable and able to be carried by one person, have an open section in the run, change direction 180 degrees at least once, and have a cup in which the marble ends. The only materials they could use were that which I placed in the marble run box (cardboard tubes, card stock, cups, cardboard sheets, and masking tape) and their own duct tape.
If you look above at the first picture for #1 you will see the marble runs; they were a big hit on Science Day. My kiddos were so proud!
This was the winning run by .53 seconds!
Finally, my fuzz girls are always the last picture that I share each Show and Tell. I purchased a small "security" camera last year from Amazon. Yes, it is a security camera, but it's more for me to check in on Lulubelle and Daisymae. I had stopped at the grocery store the other day for a few items and decided to check on my girls after I loaded up my car. I caught them staring at the front door, waiting for me to come home. I swear these two can tell time.
Hop on over to Forever in 5th Grade to read more January Show and Tell posts, It's a great way to keep up with the teaching blogging world!
Looks like your STEM programs are top-notch! Your fuzz girls and my fur boy must have gone to the same pet school as my Harvey always seems to know when it is time for his walk! :)
ReplyDeleteYour STEM day sounds like a lot of fun! We did a Polar Express STEM day before break and it was a blast!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading how your six graders helped out the younger children. My 5th graders love to work with the first graders in our school. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeti
Once a Teacher, Always a Teacher
Ha! So cute the kitties know the time of day. Sounds right out of "Secret Lives of Pets." You must have cracked up when you saw them. Thanks for sharing. Kathleen
ReplyDeleteWow! Your Science Day and marble run looks like so much fun! Thanks for linking up!
ReplyDeleteStephanie
Forever in Fifth Grade