Third Grade pictures from the STEAM Lab

These pictures show an investigation third graders made of force. They learned that heavier objects require more force to move. Notice how they are using math skills as they use the ruler to measure the distance the box moves. They are also learning to record their data in an organized way by using a table, or chart.

This was a favorite activity! Students used the Engineering Design Process to design their own moving vehicle. It was interesting to watch how a real car company goes through the design process when making their new cars. As you can see from the pictures, students were forced to be creative since they only had an index card, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, beads, dry pasta pieces, tape and stirrer straws.

These last pictures are just a few of MANY examples of safety devices our third graders designed to keep their car "dummy" safe.  We learned that even when you feel like you're sitting still in a car, you're actually going the same speed as the car.  This explains why safety devices such as seat belts and air bags are so important in keeping us safe.  At the end of the lesson, though, we wondered about devices to keep us safe in four wheelers, bikes, golf carts and motorcycles. Perhaps one day one of our third graders will make just such a discovery!

Do you notice the graduated cylinder and medicine syringe in these pictures? Our third graders literally got their hands on these tools to help measure.  The purpose of this science investigation was to determine which brand of cotton balls absorbs the most water.  Students even got the chance to use magnifying glasses as well as their sense of touch when making their hypothesis about which brand would win. As always, notice how they are recording their data. You can ask them which brand was the best.