Claire Sullivan: Elementary Science Methods II

  Elementary Science Methods 2: Week #5      This week in lab, we began by reviewing the homework for week #4 with the article focusing on formative assessment support for diverse learners. This unit has focused on how we can support play for students that is exciting but not dangerous. We use the energy lens to better understand motion. We engaged in an interactive pendulum simulation to study the different energies present during the swing. Lastly, we explored the last piece of a playground, the surface students will play on top of. The engineering design process taught us how to better design a detailed plan. From here, we created an experiment that modeled preventative measures for a student falling on the playground. As the photos show, we dropped the egg from 1 and 2 meters off the ground onto various surfaces. We found the most success in the 3rd and 4th trials, where the surface consisted of sand, straw, woodchips, and plastic wrap. I found this activity help...

  Elementary Science Methods 2: Week #4      This week in lab we continued our conversation in a lecture about the forces on a rider as they ride down a slide. The forces on it include gravity and friction. We revisited our formative assessment from last week and discussed which situations where friction was present. Next, we began by studying how weight and gravity affect the speed of an object falling to the ground. We studied the difference between paper vs a tennis ball, a tennis ball vs crumpled paper, and a wooden ball vs metal ball. From here it helped us answer the question of why the rider's weight matters. Gravity pulls harder on objects with more mass. We ended with an investigation which helped me apply the learning I gained to the real world.       This week in the lecture we continued to review the factors and forces that affect a child on a swing. Throughout class, in breakout groups, we discussed the force on the rider and rider we...

   Elementary Science Methods 2: Week #3      This week in lab we began by revisiting the question we have been working on the past few weeks. That question is What affects a rider's speed down a slide. We investigated the variables that affect the rider's speed. Some of these variables affect slide slope, rider's height, rider's weight, clothing, rider position, etc. Our group chose to study how rain or shine affects the rider's speed. Our question we were trying to answer was If the slide is wet, how does it affect the speed of the rider going down the slide. Shown in the photos we tested the slide by first measuring the height, length, and distance. Then we did four trial runs on dry and wet slides and found the averages. We found the average for dry conditions was 2.47 seconds and 0.99 m/s. For the wet conditions, we found the average speed to be 2.06 seconds and 1.19 seconds. In conclusion, if the slide is wet, the speed of the rider going down the slide is...