IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

Today we explored eardrums! We created artificial eardrums by rubber banding plastic wrap over red plastic cups. We talked about how the plastic wrap represented the thin membrane covering the ear drum. To observe vibration, we opened a packet of sugar onto the top of each plastic wrapped cup and shouted at various levels. The sugar danced! We then tried singing, whispering, and shouting at different intervals to see what the sugar would do. We discovered that the sugar moved as a result of vibration. We created sounds which traveled via sound wave to the ear drums. The ear drums then vibrated! In a real ear, we learned this is part of a chain reaction. The ear drum then activates the anvil, hammer, and stirrup bones in the middle ear which activate the cochlea. The cochlea then activates the nerve ending which sends a signal to the brain to tell it what it is hearing. WOW! Science rocks.

Tags: experiment, project

Monica and Da'Sean try out a tunnel launcher.

Lucas and Christian create a bridge on the marble launcher.

Friday was an exciting day for us. As soon as the kids came in, they were begging to play with the blocks as a morning choice activity and continue working on their marble launcher. They began experimenting with different positioning of blocks and mini ramps to try to get the marbles to go faster down the chute. We had a class conversation about why many marbles didn’t quite make it down the whole chute. Zek suggested maybe we needed more force, like how cars and trucks had engines, we needed something like that for our marbles. Ruth suggested that maybe the cracks between each block on the chute were slowing down the marbles. Lucas suggested we had created too many obstacles in the chute and they were slowing the marbles. Later on in the day, during studio and explore, we tried putting some of these suggestions into place. First, we eliminated some of the obstables. Then, the kids found a new tunnel launcher for the beginning of the chute, which they positioned at a more severe angle to create more force. Last, Ruth led a group of friends to try taping down the cracks between the blocks to create a smoother chute. We found that our three improvements increased the speed and a friend even brough up that we should be timing our marbles. Perhaps we will do this next week!

We have also been enjoying our daily yoga sessions with Mrs. Williams so much. The kids have already learned so much and I am noticing, it helps create a calm atmosphere for math workshop.

Hutton's cobra pose.

Journey trying downward dog.

Tags: collaboration, experiment, problem solving, scientific method, yoga

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Tags: Clowes Hall, collaboration, design, drawing, experiment, field trip, Indianapolis Airport, paper airplane, problem solving, recycling, scientific method