To begin their study of structures, the girls put together a triangle, a square, and a pentagon, using straws connected with paperclips. After making these shapes, the girls wiggled them and discovered that a triangle is the only shape which is rigid.
They utilized this information as they worked in pairs to construct a rigid structure using 24 straws and paperclips.
The girls were challenged to design and then create a "table" using masking tape and 8 pieces of newspaper. The table needed to be able to support as much weight as possible.
Each group of girls tested the table to see how many books it could hold.
The next challenge was to pretend to be a Native American living in Maryland 500 years ago. We talked about what we would need to do in order to survive and we took an on-campus field trip to determine where we could establish a village and what materials we could use to make shelters.
Keeping in mind what they learned from exploring the campus, the girls designed plans to build models of possible houses. Their plans used materials to represent what they had seen in nature.
From these plans, they built their houses.
The girls enjoyed incorporating information they learned in science with their study of Native Americans in their Social Studies unit!
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