After deciding to build our houses with a new material that was stronger and heavier than paper, Kindergartners tested their improved houses against the wind.

The results?  Take a look at the pictures to see just what happened!!!  All houses were tested against the fan at speeds 1, 2, and then 3.  Not one of them fell down.  Way to improve your designs!  

YOU ROCK ENGINEERS!

With the walls of the houses built, Kindergartners needed to make sure their houses had windows, .doors, and a roof.  We did an experiment together to see how falling snow interacts with three types of roofs:  curved, A-frame, and flat.  After our experiment, we all decided that an A-frame roof allows the snow to slide right off it!

At our tables we had discussions about whose house was the tallest and how the number of windows and doors compared.  Next week, we'll be testing our houses against the fan to see if they pass the wind test!

Kindergartners all agreed that our paper bag houses were a flop against the wind.  So we've decided to use a new material and a new way of putting those materials together!

One of our targets in our new house designs will be following patterns.  We're going to see how a pattern can keep our houses strong and stable.  We first started practicing our patterns with Lincoln Logs and then with pipe cleaners.  


Our next steps involving using popsicle sticks.  

Mrs. Brinza:  "Why would popsicle sticks be a good idea for our houses?  

Students:  "Because wood is really strong, Mrs. Brinza!!!"  

Mrs. Brinza:  "But how can we really be sure that it's strong?"

Students:  "Do the wind test again!"

With our paper bag houses complete and meeting the criteria of the challenge, we all realized we didn't think about one thing...the wind!

Using our breaths first, most Kindergartners saw their house past this initial test.  But with the opportunity to use a technology as a model for a windy day, Kindergartners voted on using an electrical fan over a handheld fan or a blow dryer.  There weren't many houses that passed the fan test...in fact most fell over on the lowest speed.

After a great class discussion, we talked about whether we should just give up, or make another house.  We all agreed that our friend Bob needs a house, and that not giving it another try would not meet his needs.  We discussed how we could improve our houses an important step in engineers' work.  Here's what the Kindergartners came up with as possible improvements.

1.  Add some rocks to our houses to make them heavier.
2.  Put something behind the houses so they won't blow over.
3.  Stuff them with more newspaper.
4.  Build a new house with stronger materials.

Next we'll see how these ideas pan out!  On to improving our house designs for Bob!

Kindergartners are solving their first problem as engineers!  Their friend Bob has found himself without a house.  We talked about why Bob would need a house.  Here's what Kindergartners came up with.

1.  Houses keep us warm in the winter.
2.  Houses keep us dry in the rain.
3.  Houses keep us safe.
4.  We need to eat and sleep and houses help us do those things.

Kindergartners were also introduced to the criteria and constraints of the problem.  The criteria, or what they had to do were the following:  include a roof, windows, and a door for their house.  The constraints of the challenge were with the materials they could use (paper bags, newspaper, and construction paper) and the time (two class periods).  We'll be testing our houses next week to see if they can withstand a windy day!

Kindergartners are now experts on all things designed by engineers!  They know that the technologies engineers design are human-made, non-living, and meet either a need or a want.  Sometimes, that need or want can be identified as a problem.  Therefore, a concise way to describe engineers is that they are problem-solvers.  

We've taken our journal entries to the next level, identifying problems and creating possible solutions.  Each of the problems can be solved in many ways.  We'll continue to explore this idea over the course of the next few weeks, especially as we compare and improve the solutions to various problems we face!

During the first six weeks of school Kindergartners have focused on learning what engineers do!  As a way to summarize all that have learned regarding living/non-living things, natural/human-made objects, and needs/wants, they were asked, "What does an engineer do?"  And look what they came up with!  I am so proud of you Kindergarten!

Our next focus is narrowing our descriptions of what engineers actually design.  While all the technologies engineers design are non-living and human-made, each technology serves a different purpose.

Technologies that meet our needs are things that we must have in order to survive.  These things include clothes, shelter and money to name a few.  Technologies that we want are things that we desire, but don't necessarily need to survive.  Examples include video games, roller coasters and board games.  They surely are nice, but we definitely don't need them.   Engineers help design things that satisfy our needs and our wants!

Using a variety of ways to sort (cut-and-paste, SMART Board, and actual objects), Kindergartners are expanding their vocabulary regarding the technologies that engineers design.  Not only is technology non-living, but it is also human-made!

Kindergartners are becoming sorting experts, this week focusing on the difference between natural things (like water, soil, and wood) and human-made objects (like scissors, computers, and pencils).  Check out their work!

As Kindergartners learn more about what engineering actually is, they are learning to break down what it is that engineers actually design.  Our first steps...learn the difference between living and non-living things!  Engineers design technologies to help solve problems.  All these technologies are non-living!

We know that in order for something to be living, it must:
1.  Grow and change.
2.  Move on its own.
3.  Need food, air, and water.

If the object doesn't do those things, then it's non-living!  While all non-living things are not designed by engineers, the majority of them are.  Our focus next week will be on differentiating between natural and human-made objects.  The pictures in this post show students sorting examples of living and non-living things.