This weekend, we challenge you to design and create your own catapult system.  Your catapult needs to launch a cotton ball as far as possible. There are no rules…there are no limits to your creativity….bring your design into class on Monday, and we will have a friendly competition to see which catapult can launch the furthest.

Think about what you experienced today with Mrs. McBride. Think about what worked well and didn’t. Apply S.C.A.M.P.E.R.

Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Rearrange

Good luck, engineers!

A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices. Using the materials provided, design and build your own catapult.  Here is a “How to” video.

Now experiment! Who can launch the cotton ball the furthest? Who can launch the cotton ball to a specific target?

Challenge – S.C.A.M.P.E.R the catapult. Design a catapult by substituting it with new materials. Draw, label and color your new catapult.
Super Newton Challenge – Build it. Take a picture. Email it to kmcbride@socsd.org.

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Take this quiz to see how well you listened – Quia’s Snowflake Bentley

Let’s experiment – Insta-Snowball

Let’s play these Logic Games: Factory Balls and Snowball Siege 2

Here are the images he photographed under his microscope – Snowflakes.

There’s been some record temperatures this past week and into 2018.  We can warm up with these challenges.

1.  Get your creative juices flowing Mrs. McBride’s challenge of the month – Snow Person Challenge. Make sure your snow person shows your uniqueness!
2. Snowflakes also have their own unique characteristics. Thanks to the “Snowflake Man” we know that every snowflake is unique. Wilson Bentley was the first person ever to photograph microscopic images of snowflakes.Watch the documentary and the news report about his life. Watch this video of the images he photographed under his microscope.
   
3. Today we will play a physics game called Snowball Siege.  Let’s see what level you make it to!

Let’s use this time of year to keep our logic in check. Choose from the following activities to keep your brains active.

• Factory Balls is a problem solving game that emphasizes logic and sequential reasoning. Your job is to create a design that matches the customer’s order!
• Blocky Christmas Puzzle  is a fun game that challenges you to move some blocks around the screen.  As you move through the levels, new obstacles are added and your own block becomes magnetic – which can be helpful and irritating at the same time.

Remember to study your words and practice analogies!

Try these analogies:

Part/Whole Analogies Quiz
Function/Purpose Analogies Quiz
Cause/Effect Analogies Quiz
Characteristic Action Analogies Quiz

Don’t forget to study your WordMaster words List #1:
3rd Grade WordMasters – List #1

This week is Computer Science Education Week.  Computer Science Education Week is held this week in honor of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906). Coding helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity.

Let’s CODE!

1. Let’s start with Minecraft! Minecraft is back for the Hour of Code with a brand new activity!

   

2. Now try another coding activity here.  There are plenty!

Last week you solved problems through playful exploration and trial and error.  With TEAMWORK you were able to breakout.  Today a door is firmly locked. You will need your problem solving skills to escape once, twice…forty times! Can you escape the mysterious room? And do it again and again and again? Play 40x Escape.

TEAMWORK: According to Dictionary.com, teamwork is the cooperative and coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause.

Your class will be arranged into seven groups. Each group will be assigned a problem to solve in order to unlock one of the locks. Go to this site – TEAMWORK. Click on the letter in the word “teamwork” that your group is assigned, and the link will take you to the directions of your task.

If your group finishes early, you may help other groups.

What can you do this year to be a great team player?  Post your comments.