1st Graders Build Towers

First graders as engineers! They are exploring how to use 12 different solids with varying properties to make a stable tower and, much to their surprise, no tape or glue was to be used! 

A rubber band can help keep solids together.

Balancing on top of the tower.

A stable base makes for a stable tower.

After building the tower, it's time to draw it.

So many solids!

Measuring how tall the tower is.

The whole table decided to work together to
create a huge tower!

Sometimes, the tower falls.  So, we just start over and make
a more stable base.

Higher and higher the tower goes!

Success!

My tower is as tall as the ruler!

The tower was so tall a tape measurer was needed!

Reading the ruler and checking the height.

Adding more height.

Working together.

Finished!

Sometimes how tall a tower is, isn't all that
important.

Striving for symmetry!

1st grade Investigates Properties of Solids

In our new unit 1st graders are exploring the properties of matter.  We are starting by observing and describing how 7 different objects look, feel and sound.

The block sounds loud when it's tapped on the table and the triangle
sounds "flicky".

The fabric is blue and soft.

The screw is hard and rough.

The popsicle stick is straight and so it the screw.

Next, we played a sorting game where partners choose two solids that share the same property - flexible, rigid, hard, soft, rough, smooth, transparent or opaque.

The triangle and the popsicle stick are both
both opaque.

The triangle and the wire are both flexible.

The fabric and the wire are both flexible and smooth.

Playing the sorting game.

1st Grade Builds With Solids

First grade has been investigating solids.  They have learned that solids keep their shape and can be described by properties: flexible, rigid, opaque, transparent, smooth, rough, hard and soft.   

For this investigation, 1st graders became engineers.  The classes knew a lot about engineering and agreed that engineers build things.  We also found out that engineers need to know about the properties of solids in order to choose the appropriate materials for each object being built.

The challenge...building a tower with our 7 solids (fabric, wire, tube, triangle, screw, wooden block and craft stick), foil, 2 cups, 2 cardboard squares, a straw and a rubber band.  Oh, and no tape, scissors or glue!

A very stable tower!

Measuring the tower just as it starts to fall!

Trying to use all the solids for the tower.

Working together.

After building the tower, it's time to draw it.

My tower won't fall over.

It get's frustrating when your tower falls.

How tall is my tower?

Working together you get double the supplies!

1st Graders Become Engineers!

1st graders have been using their knowledge about properties of solids to build bridges and towers! Each structure uses different materials that have distinct uses based on their properties. We discussed the purpose of a bridge (to cross over something) and decided that there had to be room for something (car, boat, train, people) to pass under the bridge. Each student had the same amount of supplies and....no glue, scissor or tape could be used!

Some people worked on their own.

Some people worked together.

This bridge is long and goes around the corner!

The rubber bands can be tricky to use!

A tunnel bridge.

A covered bridge.

A boat with a red sail to pass under!

This bridge even has an on/off ramp!

A slim bridge.

Next class, new challenge! Building and measuring a stable tower! We also had a new material to work with - aluminum foil! This time we draw our tower in our journals and measured how tall it was.

We have to use two rulers to measure how tall our tower is.

I made my tower lean like the leaning tower of Pisa.

I made the Eiffel Tower.