THIRD GRADERS APPLY THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD TO "HELP SAVE FRED!"

FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY THIRD GRADERS APPLY THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 

TO "HELP SAVE FRED!"

It was a fantastic week in third grade as students worked collaboratively to solve a problem. You see, Fred has been spending his summer boating on the Great Lakes. But he’s not too bright (after all, the brains of worms are pretty small!) He’s never learned how to swim and he never wears his life preserver. Sadly, the worst has happened! His boat has capsized and he’s stuck! Fortunately, his life preserver is in the boat, but unfortunately he does not know how to reach it without falling off and drowning.

Not to worry, Ms. Ramsey's third graders came to the rescue and helped save Fred!

THE PROBLEM

"How can you and your partner save Fred using only 4 paper clips? You may not touch Fred, the boat, or the life preserver directly with your hands! "

THE MATERIALS

Gummy Worm

Gummy life preserver

1 plastic cup

4 Paper Clips

THE RESULT

Using the rules mentioned above, students created a flowchart with diagrams showing, step by step, how the group completed the challenge. Instead of a stressful experiment, students smiled as they worked together emphasizing critical life skills such as critical problem solving, flexibility, and teamwork.