At Gillispie, we think of science as a verb: thinking clearly, communicating carefully, observing accurately, and asking relevant, testable questions are the lasting habits that turn naturally curious kids into problem solvers.
“Making” is another verb we associate with our science program. Whenever we can, we give students the opportunity to make things to facilitate their learning.
Below are the current "making" projects we're working on in Science. Each project teaches multiple physical skills and familiarizes students with new materials, techniques, and tools.
Here's what we've been up to!
- Grade 2 students are using wood, glue, and wire to build balancing devices as they investigate forces.
- Grade 3 students are carefully fabricating “Newton Cars” from laser-cut cardboard, straws, metal rods, and hot glue to give them hands-on experiences throughout their study of Newton’s three laws of motion.
- In their Rocks and Minerals unit, Grade 4 students will make "fossils" through a method that mirrors natural processes.
- Grade 5 students meticulously built levers from tongue depressors, straws, toothpicks, and laser-cut chipboard to kick off their deep dive into simple machines.
- Grade 6 students are learning about cells and are currently designing cutaway models of animal cells that will be 3D printed.
Projects like these also tend to grab and hold student interest, allowing them to engage with science content for extended periods of time and with different parts of their brains.
In a world where science facts are never more than a few clicks away, nimble-minded, nimble-handed problem solvers with many tools at their disposal will remain effective and relevant contributors to every field.