1,000 cm Marble Tracks & Learning Points

We have officially begun building our marble tracks!  After working hard these past few weeks to learn force concepts and measurement skills, our class was so excited to start.  Thank you for sending in the wrapping paper rolls, paper towel rolls, masking tape, and other supplies.  Below is a picture of our first day- not as messy as I had thought we would be.

Our class begins the great marble track project!

This project is a great culmination to our learning.  In second grade, we learn that a force is a push or a pull, and explore how an object starts and stops moving, changes direction, and changes speed.  We explore the concepts of gravity, friction, and momentum and their practical application, but are not responsible for remembering the terms and their definitions.  All of these concepts are applied to our marble tracks.

In measurement, we studied the difference between the us standard units (inch, foot, yard) and metric units (millimeter, centimeter, meter) and developed a comfort distinguishing between them.  We established reference points to help us remember about how long each unit is.  Finally, we practiced using a ruler correctly to measure in both inches and centimeters.  We also used this as an opportunity to problem solve- what if an object is longer than our ruler? How might we find out how long it is?

In addition to providing us an opportunity to practice the skills and apply the concepts we have been learning in math and science, these projects are a great illustration of the design process and trial and error.  The amount of failure we encounter with these projects is staggering- every new twist or turn or ramp has to be tested, redesigned, tested again, and on and on.  I love seeing how resilient and motivated the students are to continue trying again and again.  They also must make their track structurally sound- sturdy enough to move every day.  Finally, students are learning valuable lessons on teamwork.

We hope to finish out tracks by Friday, February 21st, and I will keep families informed of a "publishing" celebration for these projects :)