My little Engineer

Last week was our last science class.  =(  We didn't sign up for another session because the new session is dinosaurs and I just can't see us spending 4 weeks on that subject.  Plus, the class is $$ and far, which means more gas and more $$.

So here it is - Engineering day!  Once again, much of the class was really too advanced for her.  But she gets something out of it anyway so I don't care.

She was supposed to build a structure using toothpicks and marshmallows and then we were to test out the strength of the structure on a seismic type shake table.  Here is a website I found that explains it better: http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/cub_seismicw/cub_seismicw_lesson01_activity1.xml

Really, she just used one stick and two marshmallows and called it a day.  So the teacher and I built some things that would fall down, or not, and let Jackie shake them up on the table.

Note to my mommy friends who I know are going to copy this activity: Sticking toothpicks in anything edible to make shapes or structures seems like a fun activity for a three year old.  Doesn't matter if you do this seismic table thing (though it's pretty easy to build).  We were using nasty marshmallows that many kids had touched, but I think she would enjoy doing this again at home using fruit gummy snacks and them eating them when she's done.  But, maybe she'd just eat them all and skip the activity since she'd a fruit gummy fiend.  Hmmmm

Next we built a roller coaster using some flexible foam tubes that had been cut in half (I think).

Where would one find this material because I would like to do this again!  Jackie enjoyed being the "test engineer" and rolling the marbles down the track.  I would build the structure and then she would test it out.  If it didn't work I talked about why and how to change it and then she would test it again.  Pretty advanced stuff but still we had fun.

She also liked building marble runs on their peg board wall using all these materials they have ready and waiting.

Did you know when you go to the Reuben H Fleet Science Center that you can visit this room - during certain hours?  I think it's called the Tinkering Studio and if there isn't a class going on, it's open to the museum visitors.  They have many activities in there to do at any given moment (like the peg board wall) and they set up a specific special activity for the day too.  And there is a staff person to assist.

Next activity was pretty amusing to watch.  I tried to intervene and show her how to do it, but she's so stubborn so I just left her alone to enjoy herself.  She was given 25 dixie cups and told to build the tallest structure possible.  She tried balancing one on top of the other and quickly figured out that wasn't going to work out.  So then she just stacked them inside each other (the way they came) and measured that.  Someday she'll figure out there's another option.  Friends - give your kids some little dixie cups and see what they do.

Last activity was the classic egg drop test.  She was given a table full of materials to use to build a container for her egg.  She picked a milk carton and then filled it with felt, crumpled paper, styrofoam.

 She found a little envelope of bubble wrap that she put the egg inside of and then she put it into the carton and we helped her tape it closed.  I think the teacher might have made a few suggestions, but I was still pretty impressed with her comprehension.  Then we walked to a 25' high bridge and dropped the carton down.

Her egg didn't crack!