STUDYING BALANCE AND MOTION

First grade is well underway and we could not be having more fun! One of their favorite subjects is science. I love the science curriculum we use in lower school. FOSS (Full Option Science System) is a hands on system, it challenges the students, and it encourages creativity. The children have fun while they are learning and they get so excited they can’t help but reach out to one another and problem-solve.

Our first unit covered was Balance and Motion. The class balanced paper crawfish, used counterweights to counter balance objects, and tried different ways to make a sharpened pencil balance on its sharpened tip. These investigations teach the principles of balance, force, gravity, stability, and motion. The investigation that involved the children trying to balance the tip of the sharpened pencil on the table was very challenging. Each group/pair of students was given the task to get the pencil into a stable position; they had an aluminum wire, two clothespins, and a sharpened pencil per group/pair. The children worked diligently to achieve the stability.  After about ten minutes of working, one group had a break through and was able to use the counterweights and get the pencil to counterbalance.

It was like watching magic before my eyes – to see such excitement when they were successful with the pencil! Then those two students went to other groups and taught those children how to balance their pencils. This took the lesson to a higher level of Bloom's Taxonomy. Being able to take what you learned and teach it to others solidifies it to the one teaching, and can make the subject matter more relatable to the peer group. One of the best things a teacher can see is her students having fun while learning. I am looking forward to many more of these moments this year!