STEM Challenge #12: Floating boats

Hello!

3rd Grade pupils have a new STEM Challenge to show you:

"Design and build 2 different floating boats for capacity".

These were the materials provided:

Students, in small groups, had 30 minutes to build 2 different floating boats.

Once they had built the boats, they had to test their capacity, measured with cents.

It was incredible how they managed to build boats designed to hold as much capacity as possible:

STEM Challenge #11: Frosted forest

Good morning!

Let us introduce a new STEM Challenge, carried out by the students of 3rd Grade:

"Design and build a frosted tree"

Materials:

This Challenge has been adapted from Kerry Tracy and is specially focused on Maths.

Pupils should build a tree with icicles on its branches. These icicles are already given to them: they have a printed sheet full of triangles, which are divided into 3 groups (Equilàter, Isòsceles, Escalè; in Catalan). Moreover, each triangle has some points.

Pupils have to build a tree following these criteria and restrictions:

• Icicles cannot touch the ground or extend beyond the branch. 
• There can't be 2 triangles of the same type in one branch.

At the end, each group counted their points! ;)

STEM Challenge #10: Hibernating bears (4th Grade)

Hello!

STEM Challenge #10 was also carried out by pupils from 4th A Grade. Have a look at their nests ;)

STEM Challenge #10: Hibernating bears

Hello!

These short, cold days of winter many animals experience a process called hibernation. For example: squirrels, groundhogs, bats, turtles, snakes or bears.

Previously, they prepare a nest where they "sleep" for a long period of time. Some animals wake during hibernation to eat and relieve themselves, while others sleep through the entire winter.

STEM Challenge #10 engages pupils to:

"Design and build a nest for a hibernating bear".

Materials:

Building time: 40 minutes.

Pupils should consider some criteria and restrictions. For example: nests must have an entrance/exit or bears must be protected from the rain, snow and wind.

STEAM Challenge #9: Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone!

Today we want to share with you an activity we did some weeks ago.

It was Thanksgiving Day, so our teacher engaged us to thank our friends for something they do that makes us happy.

It is a nice activity with a surprising result that you can repeat at home next Thanksgiving Day or at Christmas! Here you have the steps:

First, you must print and colour this star-shaped picture, as beautiful as you can:

Then, you have to cut the star carefully:

After, in the middle of the picture, you have to write a Thanksgiving message addressed to one friend and cover it with the tips of the star:

Finally, put the star on water and...

Wow! It opens so that your friend can read your message!

STEM Challenge #8: Bridges!

Hello, how are you?

3rd Graders are ready to present you their new STEM Challenge:

"Build a strong bridge that crosses a river and allows boats to sail below it".

Materials: straws, popsicle sticks and 50cm of masking tape.

Building time: 30 minutes.

First iteration pictures:

On the second iteration, we are going to study bridges in depth so that we can build stronger bridges.

(Halloween) STEM Challenge #7: Bones bridge!

Hello!!!

Here there is another (Halloween) STEM Challenge:

"Build the longest and strongest possible BONES BRIDGE."

Pupils were given 25 minutes and the following material:

At first, they found the challenge pretty hard. It was difficult to build a stable bridge and capable of supporting weight.

Pupils needed some extra advice. So, they watched the following video and we talked about it in class:

The next day, all the groups improved their bridges. Look:

6th A Bridges

6th B Bridges

(Halloween) STEM Challenge #6: Spider-catcher!

Hello, everyone!

He-heeeee, it's Halloweeeen!!!!!

STEM Challenges are always great. They help develop our students' building skills, group-work abilities or design thinking, among other capacities.

This week, taking advantage of Halloween, we decided to challenge our pupils the following way:

"Design and build a SPIDER CATCHER".

We can assure that it is more difficult than it seems!

Pupils were given the following material:

In small groups, they had 20 minutes to build a spider catcher with a surface of 25x25cm. 

Once they got the Catcher (or after 20 minutes), a member of another group should throw spiders all over the device. Then, pupils should raise it carefully and see how many spiders remained caught:

STEM Challenge #5: Map your brain!

Hi, children!

In 3rd Grade, we are learning about our senses, so this challenge is focused on the sense of TOUCH.

We wanted to know which body parts are more sensitive and we found an experiment developed by Dr. Rebekah Corlew and Theo Walker of the Fitzpatrick Lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. This experiment is called The Homunculus Mapper.

https://www.maxplanckflorida.org/fitzpatricklab/homunculus/ 

First, we made this card:

Then, in pairs, we took measurements:

1. The tested pupil should close their eyes. 
2. The tester pupil should press 2 points of the card against the skin of the subject and ask if they feel one point or two points. The tested body parts are: HEAD, BACK, ARMS, HANDS, LEGS and FEET.
3. Start with the largest distance and keep testing smaller and smaller distances until the subject indicates that they feel one point.
4. Record these distances. 
5. Enter these numbers on brainmapper.org.

Finally, we entered our results on the web. The more sensitive parts looked larger and the less sensitive parts looked smaller. This is how "our brain thinks we are". For example:

It was an interesting experiment and very easy to do at home ;)

STEM Challenge #4: Protecting your sight!

Hi, everyone!

After learning about the sense of sight (parts of the eye, functions, etc.), we challenged our 3rd Grade students with a new STEM challenge:

"Create a device to protect your eyes from the sun and sweat". 

Criteria and restrictions:

• You must be able to see perfectly.
• You can not touch the device while wearing it.
• You can only use the materials provided.

Building time: 40 minutes.

Materials:

First day:

Second day:

STEM Challenge #3: Food towers!

Hi, everyone!

We are very happy to show you our STEM Challenge number 3: Food Towers, solved by 3rd Grade pupils. Again, we got the idea out of Feel Good Teaching, by Kerry Tracy.

Students were challenged to build a tower using school supplies, following some criteria. For example: at the top of the tower, there had to be a piece of food; or, towers should be as tall as possible.

Materials provided:

Building time: 30 minutes.

The next week, pupils tried to solve the same challenge again. Clearly, all of the groups improved their towers!