Science Experiments Part 2: Building with Marshmallows!

This week for our science experiment we did a little building! I allowed the students to pick their groups for this activity, I don't normally do that as problems usually arise when they partner with their friends.However, after a little begging I allowed them to choose their partners praying it would not end up a disaster! Once they were in their groups I explained that we were going to be building a model using only marshmallows and spaghetti noodles! The only rule was that the model had to stand on its own without help to be measured. The tallest structure was the winner! The kids were so excited to get started!

I started off my giving every group the same amount of noodles and marshmallows so that it was even and no group had an advantage. As I walked around it was so exciting to hear them talking about what they wanted to do and a few groups even had scratch paper out drawing out what they wanted to do and writing down ideas they were hearing.

Once the groups got going I think they realized it was going to be harder than they expected. They would build something and it would fall, but I was so proud how no one gave up and once it failed they just went on to the next idea.

What made me the most proud however is that every time they had to start over they realized their mistakes, and they started creating structures that were actually standing on their own. Some of the groups that I was the most worried about working together actually worked the best together and were creating the best structures!

As the time wound down teams were trying so hard to make their structures bigger and bigger that some made them to top heavy and they collapsed! As we neared the end I had students asking me if we could skip music ans stay to finish working on the structure. As happy as it made me that they wanted to keep working I told them we couldn't do that!

When the buzzer finally sounded my all boy group was declared the winner with a structure that stood 11 inches high. They were so proud of it they asked if they could go get other teachers in the building to come and look at it! 

The boys kept their structure together all day and actually asked if they could take it home since they weren't bus riders. I told them they could and I found out from their moms at parent-teacher conferences the next day that it actually made it to one of the boys house in one piece and was currently sitting on their dresser. 

As we wrapped up our building project, my kids asked me if we could do more things like this. They said we could build a structure and see which was the strongest. Some also suggested that next time I give them fake money and make them come up and buy the supplies they needed so we could incorporate math with it. Days like today are the reason I love what I do!!! 

Until next time,

Miss. B