Third graders at Triton Elementary School have been learning about the scientific process in class. Students have read about it, practiced parts of it in our books, and finally put it into action by identifying a purpose with a hands-on activity.
That purpose was to build a vehicle that could win a race. Students used research and discussed different types of vehicles. This information was used to form a hypothesis, or guess, about how to get the fastest outcome during the race. Students investigated materials such as paper, large and small crafts sticks, toothpicks, straws, skewers, spools, and lifesavers. These items were used in various ways by students to design what they had imagined as the best solution.
Students took their models to the gym where Mr. Carpenter, Triton Elementary physical education teacher, served as the race official for the event. Some vehicles would not move, some moved a little, and others quickly made it along the track. Whatever the outcome, students had fun and were able to return to the classroom to analyze why these things happened with the prototype they had built. Students came up with many possible problems that could have contributed to the success or lack of success that they had. Changes like size, weight, and material types, were some of their considerations about what could be switched to improve their outcomes.
Students from Mrs. Cathy Strycker’s class are pictured.
Triton Elementary School teachers, Miss Painton and Mrs. Branda, enjoy co-teaching Reading in fourth grade. Mrs. Branda found a great hand’s on activity that got students moving, thinking, and discussing! Students were given two note cards and had to decide why the author might create that type of work. Mrs. Branda engaged students with vocabulary while Miss Painton created discussion about author’s purpose. Students had a blast and put their knowledge to work!
Mrs. Vermillion’s Medical Detectives class at Triton Jr.-Sr. High School conducted the “Exploring the Senses” lab this week to further investigate light and deep touch, thermo reception, two-point discrimination, taste, hearing, smell, and olfactory fatigue.
Photo: H. Riggins checks L. Hubert’s hearing with a tuning fork.
