Lots of pictures to share....

Science Reports  

Using a cardboard triangle worked and the book did NOT fall!

We have done a lot of active learning in Science during the past few weeks. Matthew S says that he has learned a lot about how structures can be made stable. If the building is tall then the foundation has to be wide and strong. Here is an interactive website that we used.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/index.html 

Making the support a triangle helped but the construction paper was not strong enough.

Posts in each corner, beams at the top, triangle for the roof and a brace for the rectangular walls make this stable.

 When we write down what we did, we have procedural writing.

It is a lot easier to learn about gears when you can actually build a machine and watch what the gears do!

Braces can make rectangles stronger.

Our Grade 4 reporter, Ryan, learned how pulleys are made by making a fixed pulley with his partner.  It is easier to pull down with gravity than to lift up. With the movable pulley a person can cut the weight in half but you have to pull up. A combined pulley allows you to pull down with gravity AND it cuts the weight in half. 

A movable pulley.

 One of our Grade 4 's built a bridge to teach the Grade 3's how a load will collapse. However if arches are used to support the beam, the load can be supported.

The arches support the foam block.

The finished pulley.

Thank you for bringing your mom to help                                                                                               us build a merry-go-round with working                                                                                                  gears! Mom was having as much fun                                                                                                     as the boys!

Building a fan to show how gears work.

Someone found a motor in the Lego box and look!!!! the fan can actually work!

Teamwork is an important part of learning. A good
working group respects each others' ideas.

The gears on the merry-go-rounds meet at right angles.

Jaden brought his grandmother also! Together Mrs. Delorme and the Grade 4 girls figure out those Lego merry-go-rounds.

A fixed pulley