Moving Right Along...


4th Graders have been studying potential and kinetic energy and why things move the way they do. They have learned that when objects collide, the energy moves from one object to another. The big project for the unit was for students to modify a car they had built out of VEX kit pieces with cotton balls, bubble wrap, foam and other various materials in order to keep their raw egg from breaking when the car was crashed. We had learned that foam and bubble wrap absorb a lot of energy so students used a lot of foam and bubble wrap in their designs! (And, of course, I had to remind them to not pop the bubbles!)

Our egg made it! No cracks!

5th graders have been learning engineering principles of designing a model to solve a problem and then modifying it until it does what they want it to do, all while operating within certain constraints and meeting all criteria. They have been re-designing their robots to move blocks off a field in timed challenges. Some groups are figuring out ways to make robot arm extensions move with extra motors! 

                                   

Great ideas and great teamwork!