This week we completed our second design and build challenge, this time in teams. We began with a discussion of the qualities we would hope for in a teammate and came up with the following list: someone who listens, someone who doesn't give up, someone who helps, and most importantly someone who is kind. After reading a version of The Three Little Pigs, children were given 30 mini bricks, 15 craft sticks, and a stick of clay with the  challenge to build a house strong enough to withstand the blows of the Big Bad Wolf. Before building, each child drew a plan for a house and partners shared their ideas with each other. Groups were extremely engaged as they constructed their houses, spending significantly more time than I anticipated, until we finally had to stop for lunch. After lunch we tested the houses against the Big Bad Wolf and children were given an opportunity to share what parts of the task were especially difficult and what changes they might make if they were presented with the same challenge again. We talked about the fact that most designers try ideas, test them, make changes, and try again, over and over, before they have success, and certainly trying and not succeeding isn't really failure, but an opportunity to learn from what didn't work and try again. These are concepts we will revisit throughout the year.

 This week we began a new science unit focused on structure, function, and design. We began by making a list of things that can hold water, noting the similarities in their design and structure (they all had sides and a bottom), which were connected to their function of holding water. We repeated this process for writing tools, again connecting structure to function.  We then read a version of Jack and the Beanstalk and talked about the function of the beanstalk and how this was supported by its structure. Children were given 10 pipe cleaners and challenged to create their own beanstalk, as tall as possible and strong enough to hold a plastic egg. This task can be frustrating, so before beginning we talked about what children could do if their ideas didn't work and the importance of learning from mistakes and not giving up. Most students were not successful in their first attempts and had to make significant adjustments to their original plan or completely start over while some needed inspiration from classmates. It was a great opportunity for children to practice important skills including taking risks, modifying expectations, and working through frustration, things we noted scientists must do all the time.