Summer SAVY 2023 Session 1, Day 4 – Creative Contraptions (Dunbar)
Day 4: I can’t believe it’s already day 4! This morning we examined Isaac Newton’s laws of gravity and the students participated in force, motion, and gravity experiments. They also learned about inertia and did experiments to show how objects (people, animals) have resistance to change in motion or rest. Some examples discussed were when a car stops quickly, it causes us to move forward and that we would keep moving without a seatbelt if there was a lot of force, the fan continuing to move after it’s switched off, hot chocolate continuing to swirl after you quit stirring it, or the need for cleats in some sports to change directions quickly.
The students blew me away with their invention ideas. This afternoon students started creating their inventions. They were given the option to work alone or with a partner. They also had to decide what materials they needed for their projects. Many students chose to work with a partner and changed their original ideas. There were many consumables to choose from and they also had access to materials we have worked with all week. Most students ran into problems constructing their invention, and either by themselves, with their peers, or with prompting questions from the TA and myself found another way. They worked about 2 hours on their projects including clean-up time. Many students said they were surprised it is taking so long for them to complete. The ones that did finish tried to adjust theirs to make improvements. I was so proud of their resilience and perseverance and can’t wait for them to present their work tomorrow.
Ms. Dunbar
A few photos from the day:
