Gravity

STEM students have begun learning all about gravity. We learned that gravity does NOT pull things down, but pulls things towards the center of the Earth. We've had some amazing conversations about what "down" even means when the world is round. We have started designing parachutes that can fall slowly and safely. Next we will work on roller coasters......

Conservation of Mass

STEM students are learning about the Conservation of Mass. We've explored questions like:
If you melt an ice cube, does it weight more as a solid or a liquid?
If you break a cookie, does it change the weight?
Can we predict the weight of lemonade if we know the weight of the water and the mix?

Today we began to look at creating new substances by mixing different substances. We started by making Super Slime. It was messy but so much fun!!

We MATTER!

This week students in 3-5 STEM classes started their new Physical Science unit- MATTER!  We began the unit  reviewing the states of matter that we learned in second grade.  Those states are solids, liquids and gasses.  We also acted out how those states exist- we learned that particles make EVERYTHING and how the particles act determine the state a material lives in.  

The students above are acting out gas and liquid (the rug was a "container: the material was put in).  Students just wiggled close together when they were a solid, like ice put into a cup.  Students were able to move freely around the rug while touching at least one classmates shoulders to model a liquid, like water.  Students were able to move freely and quickly (but safely!) around our classroom to model a gas, like steam! 

Students also explored particles through observation.  We learned particles are SO small, that we can't see them!  We practiced scientific drawings with what we can see with our eyes, and then compared it to what we see with a new fancy tool, the microscope! 

Although our high school microscopes aren't strong enough to allow us to see individual particles, it showed us that there is a LOT more to any object, than what meets the eye!  What a fun week! 

Stay tuned for what we do next week: Science Court! 

Constructing Models

Students are hard at work in our construction space. We have students working with the construction tools, some students are working with a great 3D app, while others are designing with a combination of both. The creativity in this school is amazing!

Teacher Tank Presentations

There are truly no words to describe the amazing students here at BFA Fairfax! We asked them to identify a problem and create a solution....we never anticipated the level at which they would surpass our expectations. With ideas such as auto drop boxes to feed hungry children to bracelets to calm frustration, we were left speechless. We cannot wait to see what comes next...

Demonstration Day

STEM students had the opportunity to learn about the options that will be available to them as they create and design their solutions. Mrs. Siemons shared the technology options such as the 3D scanner, circuit boards and apps, while Mr. Reynolds was a guest teacher to share how to safely use our construction table and tools. SO MUCH FUN!!

We also watched a funny Kid Snippets video...

Problems and Solutions

We are so excited for the next three weeks in the Innovation Lab! Students will be asked to identify a problem in their lives and design a solution. We will be working hard at researching what others have already done, tackling problems we might encounter and celebrating our inventive minds! Students will have access to multiple resources to design their solutions. Stay tuned for updates as we enter this next phase and don't forget to sign up to follow the blog via email (see upper right had corner).