Spring SAVY 2020: Day 1 – Creative Contraptions w/Dr. Wesby (3rd/4th)

Posted by hallep on Monday, February 10, 2020 in Grade 3, Grade 4, SAVY.

Welcome to Creative Contraption with your host Dr. “K” Wesby!

The 3rd & 4th grade SAVY Scholars had an incredible day of learning through experiments! We hit the ground running with Creative Engineering with Legos, to get our minds warmed up for thinking like an engineer and scientist.Next, students began learning about the concept of a system. Students created concept maps, performed several scientific experiments and reviewed aspects of a system that included elements, inputs, outputs, and boundaries. We later played the Guess What’s In My Box Game to develop critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills, also important to thinking like a scientist.

The final part of the day included students learning about motion, force, potential, and kinetic energy. Students performed several experiments to answer the following questions:

• What changes can be made to alter the movement of an object?
• Does the change affect the force of an object?
• How does change affect potential energy?
• How are potential and kinetic energy related?
• How can a surface change the motion, force, potential, and kinetic energy of an object?

Our day ended with our Creative Invention Session, where students had to build a balloon car to test the effects potential energy has on kinetic energy.

Next week we will begin our study on Simple Machines. I am excited to continue working with this great group of students!

Have a great week,

Dr. “K”