SAVY 2019: Session 4, Day 1 – Creative Contraptions (Ms. Tyson) (Rising 1st/2nd)

Posted by hallep on Monday, July 8, 2019 in Grade 1, Grade 2, SAVY.

Can we build a machine that can move an item from one end of the table to another? That was our first challenge to start the day! The constraints were that we could only use the following materials: pencils, toilet paper rolls, paper strips, straws, tape, and imagination through problem solving. The answer is that, yes we can, and in fact, we can show how to accomplish this challenge in six very innovative ways! As we moved around the room in fishbowl style (stopping to look at each design and listen to the inventors), we marveled at how varied our thinking can be. Reading and discussing the book, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes, encouraged us to embrace our mistakes and learn from them. Also reading, Mistakes That Worked, taught us to evaluate what seem to be mishaps, but could really result in new opportunities if we are willing to look at our mistakes in multiple perspectives!

Upon reviewing the Scientific Reasoning and Investigation Wheel, we put on our scientist thinking caps and looked for evidence of this scientific process with the help of The Crow and the Pitcher (Aesops Fables). We were quite able to identify how the crow used the scientific process to solve her problem of being thirsty. Several students explained how scientists can also be inventors as they seek to solve problems such as diseases. Adding to our scientific investigating, we begin looking at the concepts of position with the use of Hot Wheels cars. It is important for us to be able to describe in detail how two or more items are in proximity to each other, based on relative location. We will add motion, kinetic energy, potential energy, and force tomorrow as we move into physical science. This will lead us into simple machines.

By also examining a model of a car, we were able to begin to see how a car operates as a system. Out universal concept for this course is systems. We will learn that systems have parts (elements), such as wheels, body, engine, doors, windows that we identified today, systems have boundaries (we identified car top and bottom, sides, tires today), Systems have inputs and outputs (today we identified these in a car such as gas, oil, people, air, exhaust, people), and the interactions of a system change when its inputs, elements or boundaries change.

This has been a great day! Can’t wait until tomorrow!

Ms. Tyson