August 31, 2021

This week, our 5th graders started their first Social/Emotional Learning Unit on Relationships. In order to understand and empathize with others, we are first looking inward and examining ourselves, so we asked the question "Who am I?" Students learned the basics of the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator Test and discussed the merits and limitations of such tests. They took a simplified version of the test to see if they relate to different categories that might help them learn about themselves and relate to others. We realized that human personalities are really complex! Sometimes our environment can affect which part of our personality we show.

The 5th graders also experimented more with columns, building off their paper tower challenge from last week. They tested designs of circular, square, and triangular columns to see which could hold the most weight and what factors go into engineering a successful design and reliable testing methods. A few 5th graders got so excited, that they plotted a ton of data from the trials and presented it to the class. One fifth grade design held over 2.5 pounds and a design inspired by a 1st grader's idea held over 5 pounds. We were astounded that an 11-inch column made from only one piece of paper could hold so much weight!

Vocabulary words of the week:

non sequitur: a completely unrelated comment

extrovert: someone who mostly gains energy from being with people

introvert: someone who mostly gains energy from being alone