By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Students in Rhonda Chandler’s fifth-grade science class at Union City Middle School have been putting what they’ve learned in motion.
As part of a study of engineering, the class participated in a series of three projects that focused on design, improvements and then redesigning of a final product.
The first of those projects challenged students to design a raft, using 60 grams of modeling clay. The raft was required to remain afloat, even while holding 10 pennies.
A few days later, the class was required to construct a paper clip bridge.
Among the criteria for the project were specific measurements as far as width and length and the “bridges” could have no more than four supports while also being able to hold four erasers.
The last project in the series saw the group construct towers, made of candy corn.
“I was proud and impressed that the students worked hard to apply their vocabulary and new-found knowledge of engineering to their designs,” Chandler said.
“We had discussions about failure being part of the design process, and their improvements and redesigning that occurred afterward was proof of what they’d learned studying the engineering unit.”
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