My students need items to build machines...such funnels, hoses, buckets, magnets, pulleys, dominoes, balloons, cups, marbles, duct tape, twine, clay, hammers and nails.
Never be afraid to make a mistake in my classroom. Mistakes help us learn. They tell us what we know, and what we still need to work on. I want my students to guess, check, and then revise their guesses until they learn what they need. I believe this will help them to be lifelong learners.
I teach Math to 7th and 8th grade students.
They are amazing! There is something unique about middle school students. They are so happy to be at school with their friends and with teachers who care about their happiness and their learning experiences. I enjoy sharing my school days with them, as well as providing them with activities that encourage team work, creative thinking, and are fun!
My Project
My students will use the materials from my list to design and build Rube Goldberg contraptions. These are complex machines that perform a relatively simple task. Students will be given a task, such as rolling a marble a certain distance into a cup. They will be given a list of the materials on my list, and will work as a team to design a machine that will move the marble into the cup. The fun part is that the machine is supposed to be composed of all sorts of goodies...hoses, catapults, tubes, balloons, cups, spoons, magnets, funnels, marbles, golf balls, paper clips, clay, rubber bands...the list could go on forever! The more complex, the better...as long as the goal of the task is reached. The students will use several tools to build...hammer and nails, screwdrivers, twine and duct tape.
Today's students live in a technological society, but sometimes it's beneficial to put technology away and use a hands-on approach to learn.
The donations to this project will improve the classroom by giving students experience in the field of engineering (designing, building, and problem solving). They will use creative and critical thinking to solve a problem through team work. What great life skills!
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