Chain Reactions – Third Grade Science Unit

Chain Reactions – Third Grade Science Unit

how things work

Just before our winter break, the third grade class completed a unit on how things work. They investigated what might make a machine do what it does.

At the end of their unit, they invited the whole school to watch as different groups of students made their wonderful contraptions come to life.

Citizen Scientists

Take a look at the video to see what the students made – in action!

This activity was inspired by Rube Goldberg machines. To take it a step further, the third graders used this as inspiration for several centering lessons on chain reactions in their emotional and social lives.

When the kids were working collaboratively, they had to use these things to receive full credit:
At least three simple machines

  • At least five exchanges of force
  • Examples of friction
  • Examples of gravity
  • And, of course, teamwork.

This presentation of their machines was the culmination of the entire unit. Students did several experiments based on the scientific method that helped them build upon their prior knowledge for this activity.

It’s pretty amazing how just a little rolling ball can have such a powerful impact on integrated systems.

Of course, this unit blends in so well with our theme of systems thinking this year.

Mark Hanf – Featured in Citizen Times For Creating AT Board Game

Mark Hanf – Featured in Citizen Times For Creating AT Board Game

Mark Hanf

Hanf’s game with a photo of some Omega students trying out the game

Mark Hanf Featured in Asheville’s Newspaper

Mark Hanf, one of our new Omega teachers, has been featured in the “Living Section”  of the Asheville Citizen Times.

He has spent time hiking the Appalachian Trail.

It’s impacted his life so much that now he wants to hike the entire length of it some day with his daughter.

In the meantime, they both can “prep” for the hike because she’s only five. The best way to do that? With a board game!

Mark Hanf Creates AT Board Game

Mark and a team of developers worked to create a game that would help people learn best practices and skills in preparation for hiking the Appalachian Trail.

The idea came to him after stopping at a shelter along the trail that had been left littered and otherwise pretty trashed. His first reaction was anger. But then he thought that perhaps others just haven’t had the training he’s had to know trail and hiking etiquette. He had been a Boy Scout.

He cleaned up the shelter and took his idea to create a board game to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy where he received a small grant. From there, the game was born.

Mark Hanf, Omega Teacher

He’s also started a Kickstarter Campaign to expand and spread awareness about the game. Fundraising for the cause exceeded the goal, totaling 1,093 backers and $57,361 raised. Success!

Read More of Mark’s Article Here

 

 

 

Learn to Play; Play to Learn

Learn to Play; Play to Learn

“The old ways of learning are unable to keep up with our rapidly changing world,”is one of the premises of A New Culture of Learning, by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown. We know that when children are young they learn by playing — imagining things, experimenting, and so on. In our world of constant change, adaptability and innovation are highly valued. Interestingly, in a world of flux the ability to play at all ages becomes more necessary. Why? Because an attitude of play is an attitude of inquiry — as Thomas and Brown describe it, “A child playing with a new toy and an adult logging onto the Internet, for example, both wonder, ‘what do I do now?’…play becomes a strategy for embracing change.”
Thanks to John Johnson for recommending A New Culture of Learning. It gave me another look at systems thinking in education. A new way of living has ushered in a new way of learning. Unfortunately, the public school system is such an excruciatingly slow moving bureaucracy it can never facilitate the adaptability today’s children need to learn to be prepared for tomorrow’s future.