Last week we began our first Project Lead the Way science unit:  Structure and Function-Exploring Design.  We began by talking about the function of various objects and how this connects to their design and structure.  Students were then prompted to draw several objects including something that holds water, something that can be used to write, and something that can move people from one place to another.  We compared the different things that each child drew and noted similarities in their design or structure, which were connected to their function.  For example the different things that could hold water all had sides while the objects for writing tended to have a long shape with a point at one end.

Later in the week we read a version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and talked about the function of the beanstalk in the story (it was used as a ladder) and how its structure supported this.  On Friday students were presented with their first design challenge, to use 10 pipe cleaners (and nothing else) to build the tallest bean stalk they could.  This can be quite challenging and consequently frustrating so we began by reading the book "The Most Magnificent Thing" by Ashley Spires.  This is a story about a girl with an idea for a magnificent construction.  She has a very clear picture of her design and even draws it on paper so building it should be "easy peasy".  But of course it is not and she must try, and try again, walk away, work slowly and carefully, and be flexible.  In the end she creates something magnificent that isn't quite what she envisioned, but it is still fabulous.  We followed the book with a discussion of what children could do if they felt frustrated while building their bean stalks, including starting over, walking around the room to get new ideas from classmates, and adjusting their expectations.

Each child drew a bean stalk design in their science notebooks and finally they were given a chance to build their bean stalks.  Most students failed in their first attempts and had to make significant adjustments or completely start over, but in the end everyone was able to create a finished bean stalk.  In our follow up discussion children noted that making a sturdy base was the most challenging thing and if they had an opportunity to do this task again they would probably modify their designs to have a strong base. This was a great opportunity for everyone to work through frustration with problem solving and perseverance, something real scientists must do all the time!