In STEM, we focus on the 4C's of 21st Century Learning. This task required us to use critical thinking and creativity to build the tallest index card tower.
0 Comments
I am so excited to have my second graders back for a third year in STEM! It is amazing to see their growth throughout the years. We started off the year with a paper chain challenge. Groups were given just two sheets of paper to create the longest chain. So fun!
This week the 2nd grade students were introduced to our new Ozobots. First they are learning the basics about the bot such as how to turn it on and off, calibrate it, and code an effective path for it. They are loving it!
Second grade students combined their knowledge of force and motion with measurement to create models of moon craters. The "meteors" they used were of two different sizes and tested at two different speeds. After creating the craters they measured the size of the craters to the nearest centimeter. Here is a link to a slow-mo video of crater creation.
The students continued their learning about objects in the sky by studying moon phases. After watching a Brain Pop Jr. video on the moon, the students used a moon calendar to determine and draw a picture of the moon phase on dates of their choice. The second graders really enjoyed making constellation viewers as a way to learn about the stars. They know why some stars appear brighter than others, and are beginning to identify some constellations.
It was so exciting to have students in grades K-2 display individual projects at the science fair! Please be sure to check out the 2nd grade class projects in the slideshow on the home page of this blog! To integrate some winter fun with the 2nd grade force and motion and measurement standards, the students designed and created snowball catapults. They were given 2 large and 8 small craft sticks, rubber bands, and a snowball (cotton ball). After creating a working catapult, the students improved their designs to try and get the catapults to launch the snowball as far as possible. They used inches or centimeters to measure the snowball's distance. To get into the Thanksgiving holiday spirit, students were given 5 sheets of copy paper and 30 cm of tape to design and create a table that would hold a can of food. It took some trial and error, but many groups were able to hold not just one, but two cans of food with their tables! The students also integrated sequential writing by explaining what they did.
We incorporated literacy and STEM with the use of sets of Goldieblox. As the students read the story it directs them to put specific pieces together to engineer the parade float being described in the book. Students had to collaborate to build the float and then explore pushes and pulls in order to get the parade float to move.
|
Second Grade
Archives
May 2020
Categories |