GEMS Science Summary 2/25/13

Spacecraft Landings!

The students finished up their drawings of a rocket that would be able to land on Oobleck, explore the landscape, and take off again. Some themes emerged as each student presented their plan to the class highlighting the device they used so their ship could avoid getting stuck in the Oobleck. Students were allowed to use whatever they thought they could have at their disposal if they were at NASA. The drawings included hover jets, pounding feet attached to the base of the ship (one of our tests revealed that constant movement avoided getting stuck)...even a ship that turned into a submarine and could dive into the Oobleck!

Seeing how we weren’t at NASA, the students then designed ships using items brought in from home. The rule is that they have to land on our bowl of Oobleck for 5 seconds without getting stuck. Some students worked in teams, while others preferred to work on their own. They were so involved in this task that they will need to finish their ships at the beginning of class next week, when they will finally be able to see if their creation will pass the test.

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Next Week

Next week will be our last class using Oobleck. We will wrap up by defining ways that we became like scientists over the course of the last several weeks and look at ways that scientists did similar things we did when trying to learn more about Mars.

What Lies Ahead

The following week we will begin a unit called Mystery Festival. The students will act as crime lab scientists to help solve an imaginary mystery. In an effort to discover which fictional suspect (or suspects) may have committed a “crime” at Felix’s beach house, the class will examine a large variety of clues and do tests on evidence, while learning important science skills and concepts. It does take a lot of initial set up.

Please look at the following list (HERE) and let me know via email ([email protected]) if you can donate any items and bring them to class next week.