Middle School Science & Eng. - A Solid Start

Several weeks into the year, and we've hit thr ground running. We already have our first engineering project under our belts, and are several labs deep into our review of the Scientific Method.

The first middle school engineering project is a tough one, but also very fun. The students are asked to work in partnerships to devise a means of transporting a "crew" of 7 gummy bear mercenaries (like the A-Team, but candy) across a 25 foot "chasm". They can't touch the ground anywhere in the expanse and have to land (UPRIGHT, no less) on a 6x6ft landing pad.

We had quite a few successful trials, and everyone in the class had great ideas. We had groups taking a bit of a risk with modified frisbees, a few with bottom-weighted or swiveling, gyroscopic infrastructures, and quite a few zip lines. It was cool to watch the kids throw heavy tethered anchors across before elevating their lines and seeing their shuttles touch down on the other side.

Throughout this design and testing process, we also practiced our inquiry skills, reviewing the steps of the Scientific Method through a series of labs on trajectory, center of mass, and the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.

Our focus will now shift toward our next unit on weather. We've already begun to learn about the relationship between temperature and pressure, and as we dive deeper into the structure of our atmosphere, the hydrologic cycle, and the causes of wind, we will leap into our next project on kite design! (This is always a fun one, and the gradually cooling days make it a pleasure to test our designs outside!)