The Barn has been a buzz these past two weeks since starting our final Physical Science unit of the year, entitled "Balance & Motion". The first module has introduced the term "balance" and has explained that finding a stable position is considered balanced. The kids have also been introduced to the word "counter balance" and how positioning weight or adding weight can help achieve a stable or balanced position. Each day a new balance challenge is posed that they must test at least five times before reporting their findings. The students are encouraged to achieve balance without any weight, then add one clothespin, then two clothespins for counter weights. The challenge experiments so far have been: balancing a cardboard crayfish on it's nose, tail or claws; balancing an arch and a triangle in as many exploratory positions they could find then following a science sheet to test positions the company showed and compare findings; & balance a cardboard pencil and then a real pencil using a wire. By the end of the week the students had come to realize that if they positioned their weights below the point of balance the more stable the shape would become. We will finish out this week with making a mobile, that will become a science work during Integrated Studies. The next few weeks we will begin discussing motion, so be on the look-out for an update! Miss Tracy
