August 5, 2005

Today the students continued to test the beams they constructed yesterday. Several of the predictions they made regarding their beams were accurate within 2 pounds of the actual load they could support. Other students were excited to find that their beams could carry much more weight than they had expected. This concluded their exercise in the relationship between construction and strength.

Next they moved on to an activity that explored calibration (checking or adjusting the accuracy of a model). The students rolled marbles down a ramp and marked the point where the marbles landed on the floor. Then they graphed their results and used their data to predict where the marbles would land when sent down the ramp again. To test their accuracy they tried to place cups on the floor to catch the marbles as they fell to the ground. At the end of class, the students were very excited to receive t-shirts and certificates for their participation in the workshop.