Eggs Parachutes

The children were challenged to create their own egg parachute using only set materials. 

Instructions:

You are to build a parachute that can hold 1 x egg.

You can only use: 1 x plastic bag, string (or wool), cello tape, glue and 1 x A4 piece of paper.

We will test your parachutes by dropping them off the senior playground.

Max successfully launches his egg parachute.

Seb wasn't so lucky as his chute failed to open.

We discussed the forces that were in action; air resistance, gravity, push and pull. 

To conclude this challenge the children wrote an explanation outlining how and why the parachute works.

How does an egg parachute work?

By Maria Bebb

An egg parachute is a small homemade parachute made out of recycled materials.

The parts of an egg parachute include: a canopy (a plastic bag), an egg, 8 equal pieces of string and an egg holder.

The canopy is designed to inflate when the parachute is dropped, for a slow and safe landing. The strings are connected to the canopy and the egg holder so that they stay connected. The egg holder is made for holding the egg for cushioning and so it doesn't fall out so it makes the egg have a safe landing so that it doesn't crack, which is the main purpose of the excerise/task: to try and make the egg have a safe landing which means no cracks and no splatters.

There are multiple forces at work while the parachute is in action: push is used when gravity is pushing the parachute up, pull is used when air resistance keeps the parachutes up. These are opposing forces which makes it go down slowly but gravity is the stronger force which is why the parachute goes down instead of up. Even though it goes down slowly because of air resistance, if it didn't have air resistance the parachute would shoot straight down to the ground.

The reasons for failed experiments (splattered or cracked eggs) can be: because the egg holder is unstable; poorly made or uneven pieces of string are connected to it, lack of cushioning, no cover i.e open sides, too small parachutes or paper parachutes. If the parachutes were too small then the paper/plastic wouldn't catch the air fast enough and it would shoot straight down. We discovered that paper parachutes didn't work as well as plastic bag parachutes/canopies.

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Balloon Powered Cars

Balloon powered cars challenge

Using your prior knowledge on forces and your thinking interdependently expertise you are to design and build a balloon powered car.

Instructions

The kids were allowed to use a foam core or corrugated cardboard, regular cardboard, wooden barbeque skewers, straws, scissors, tape to build a balloon powered car.

Forces:

You must include the forces that you think will be acting upon your car in your plan.Then it was action time. The kids were put into groups of 3 to build the car. Here are some photos of the balloon powered cars in the making.

“Trying to make the cars was frustrating but in the end we got there and finished” - Jacob Dredge

"This is awesome" - Alex Manley

"I wonder if friction will impact on this challenge" - Meg (aka the mad scientist)

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Forces Graphic Design

For Home Learning the children were set the task to create a graphic design explaining one of the forces we have looked at in class. The idea is to have the children communicate their prior knowledge and new learning in a range of different and creative ways.

The children have been enjoying demonstrating the different forces through a range of methods and it seems to be helping cement the kids learning of forces. Through readings, experiments completed in class and presenting their forces home learning the kids are processing their knowledge.

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The Human Table Experiment

Miss Ross led Team Double R through the "Human Table" experiment. The children thoroughly enjoyed this activity and were able to apply their scientific knowledge about forces to explain how it works.

Miss R convinces the boys that the experiment is safe.

 Meg, Sinead, Alex and Ella B are relaxed before their big fall!

 The boys can't stop laughing as the last chair is removed.

Absolute chaos as our budding scientists carry out their "human table" experiments.

A small video showing Team Double R thinking like scientists.



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Homemade Marble Run

To demonstrate the force of gravity the children completed the marble run experiment in class. The children were then set a home learning task to create a marble run out of recycled materials.

Tamati took his marble run to the next level by spray painting it blue!

The children showed a lot of creativity to build some amazing marble runs. 

 Stay tuned as we look to join them together on our classroom wall.


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The Forces Challenge

To check our classes prior knowledge and new learning on forces we set them a challenge to build a creation that demonstrates two forces. They were only allowed to use set materials; A4 card x 4, Cellotape 30cm, String x 1m, Paperclips x 10, Toy car x 2, Straws x 4 and Rubber bands x4.

The children set about testing and playing with the materials before deciding on a plan. The discussion was rich with scientific knowledge being bantered about like they were seasoned scientists and designers.

Once they had finalised their plans they set about building their creations and testing them to make sure they worked.

Finally the groups demonstrated their creations to the class and explained the forces that were evident.

    

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Co2 filled Balloon experiment

Co2 filled Balloon experiment

Materials:

Baking soda

Vinegar

Beaker

Balloon

Measuring flask

Instructions:

First you pour the vinegar and baking soda into the beaker very  quickly. Next swiftly put the balloon on top of the beaker.

Hypothesis:

The balloon will blow up from the gas.

Result:

The vinegar and the baking soda reacted which caused the balloon to inflate.

We thoroughly enjoyed being scientists. Forming and testing our hypothesis.

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