Marble Math
5/16/2021
It was marble mayhem this week as students tackled the last unit in math...building marble runs. While this might look just like a fun project - and there was plenty of fun involved - there was also some deep critical and mathematical thinking going on. Students first conducted three different experiments as a whole group, changing the variable each time. The first experiment changed the height of the ramp, the second the mass of the marlbe and the third the length of the tube. Armed with this new data about ramp heights, tube lengths and marble masses, students were given the choice of which marble roll math problem they wanted to tackle. The different problems contained different constraints and stipulations such as having to have two targets 6 inches apart or making jumps or turns. Students took the time to plan out their initial ideas, trying to think through the set-up of the challenge. Then it was time to build, test, re-build, re-test, reflect... Once they were successful in those challenges, the students were given one final challenge. They worked in groups to make a marble run that went from one side of the classroom to the other, still with special constraints and stipulations. All of the hard work and learning over this past year became apparent as students communicated, problem-solved, offered feedback, worked as a team, engaged their critical thinking skills and finally enjoyed success! Comments are closed.
|
Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
March 2021
Categories |