What on earth are Goo Towers you might well ask!....
It's the week before half term and mornings will be taken up with mid-year tests so the afternoons will be full of more practical actitivies. On Monday afternoon we'll be having a 'challenge' afternoon in Year 3. The class will be working in small teams and will have to create a 'Tower of Goo!' The idea is that they will use what they have learnt so far from the World of Goo about building towers that stay up, to create a tower of their own that must also stand up on its own!
The materials I shall give them - another link to our current science topic of materials - are;
This time I really would like them to achieve the end product of a tall tower that stands up!....So, I'm thinking that if I give a wide variety of materials with different characteristics and weights it may well work....and of course it'll be great fun!
I shall start by talking about/showing the World of Goo and how I think when I play it. I'll gradually let their ideas in when they have got the hang of how I am thinking - What must I do to make my tower stand up and not collapse? Is the base important? What shape should it be as we build upwards? After that I'll show them the materials available and let them brainstorm in their groups about the various characteristics of the materials and therefore what job in the tower they might be suitable for!
I hope they think like this...
It's the week before half term and mornings will be taken up with mid-year tests so the afternoons will be full of more practical actitivies. On Monday afternoon we'll be having a 'challenge' afternoon in Year 3. The class will be working in small teams and will have to create a 'Tower of Goo!' The idea is that they will use what they have learnt so far from the World of Goo about building towers that stay up, to create a tower of their own that must also stand up on its own!
The materials I shall give them - another link to our current science topic of materials - are;
- marshmallows
- straws
- raisins
- midget gems
- cocktail sticks (with safety talk of course...)
- scissors
- jelly
This time I really would like them to achieve the end product of a tall tower that stands up!....So, I'm thinking that if I give a wide variety of materials with different characteristics and weights it may well work....and of course it'll be great fun!
I shall start by talking about/showing the World of Goo and how I think when I play it. I'll gradually let their ideas in when they have got the hang of how I am thinking - What must I do to make my tower stand up and not collapse? Is the base important? What shape should it be as we build upwards? After that I'll show them the materials available and let them brainstorm in their groups about the various characteristics of the materials and therefore what job in the tower they might be suitable for!
I hope they think like this...
- Jelly is heavy and fairly solid - but still slightly flexible which makes it a good material for the base
Straws are flexible but not very strong- Marshmallows are soft - good for sticking things into - light in weight and malleable (marshmallow 'glue' is very sticky!
- Raisins are malleable, soft and light in weight
- Scissors are sharp and are good for cutting straws, raisins and marshmallows
- Cocktail sticks are sharp, hard and stronger than straws.
- Midget gems are heavier and stronger than raisins
I want to be in your class!
Of course...any time :-)