30Apr

Spring into Science

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6th Grade PLTW

The sixth grade students have spent the last couple months studying the forces of flight as it applies to gliders and rockets. They use WhiteBox Learning, a STEM learning system for Engineering, Science, and Technology Education classrooms. Completely web-based, students can design, analyze, and simulate their designs, hundreds of times, from a web browser, and compete with other students in the classroom. After the students designed the flying machines, they built models and competed with one another on the field.

 

India carefully glues her fins on.
Toby constructs a parachute for his rocket.








 

 

 

 

6th grade science

This last trimester in science we have tackled the questions: “How do forces shape Earth’s surface?” and “What is in the earth’s atmosphere and what role does it play in our weather and climate?” In exploring these content questions, the students continue to improve their science process skills through inquiry investigations. Presently, we are engaging with the question: “How have humans changed the composition of our atmosphere and what affects does this have on our health and our environment?”

Ilan explores the difference between water and dirt’s heat capacity.
Students here are investigating factors that affect the rate of erosion.
This group of students discovers that houses built close to the shore increase beach erosion.
India and Yael record the time it takes for oil to seep to the surface.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7th grade science

Students in life science have spent the last two months investigating the question: “How does form fit function in an ecosystem?” After examining the nine major phyla of animals through careful dissections, we explored the different components of ecosystems.

Decomposition lab
Jessica dissects a mussel.
“You touch it first!”
Katie checks out the giant earthworm.
Giant grasshopper in the phylum Arthropoda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here the class is modeling the interconnectedness of a food web.
My finger is stuck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the link to a slideshow of our Florida trip.

 

 

 

8th grade science

The students in 8th grade continue to explore concepts in chemistry, including a unit on the periodic table. The students created a periodic table of everyday objects to demonstrate an understanding of periodic trends and organization.

Noah’s periodic table of Pokemon.
Roy investigates the characteristics of ionic compounds.
Shira and Ester created a periodic table of Disney princesses.
Nir and Dekel’s table of CSGO
Lue created a period cube of cars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ester examines the structure of an atom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nir and Lue work on an invention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7th and 8th grade PLTW

Students purchase their supplies for the project.

The students in Design and Modeling are presently immersed in their final challenge of the course.

The goal of this lesson is to apply the knowledge and skills that they have acquired in the Design and Modeling unit, as they design and fabricate a therapeutic toy for children with cerebral palsy.

The challenge as presented to the students is as follows:

  • Collaborate within a team.
  • Use creativity to brainstorm ideas as a team.
  • Apply the design process and create all the necessary documentation in each of the steps of the design process.
  • Create sketches for your design ideas.
  • Develop a 3D design using a CAD application (Autodesk® 123D® Design).
  • Fabricate your design solution.
  • Test your solution and analyze the test data using a data analysis application (GeoGebra).
  • Evaluate your solution and, if time permits, revisit your design.
  • Present your solution.
Girl engineers at work!
Builder Ben

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 8th graders impressed the community at Mindworks with their mini-golf course.