PROJECT "LITTLE SCIENTISTS"


During school year 2013./14. we started a project called Little Scientists and have been implementing it for 3 years. This year we got a grant from Croatian ministry of science and education to implement this project further. Project consists of 5 modules for gifted students. Students in the project are 9 to 13 years old.

Goals of the project are:
- to introduce science to younger students
- popularize science with experiments and project based learning
- motivate students to learn STEM subjects
- to introduce nature's and physics laws to the students
- develop critical thinking and 21st century skills

1st module

students learned about experiments, its parts, variables, errors of measurements.
Later they were divided in pairs and conducted 3 experiments: Lava lamp, volcano and rockets. For example by changing the amount of water and effervescent tablets students changed the time needed for the rocket to launch.

In the 2nd module students  conducted a few experiments:
A) Two students held one paper towel over a brown tank. Third students poured 5 teaspoons of water in the middle of the towel. Then students started placing coins on the towel. We were investigating and experimenting how many coins can be placed on a towel before it breaks.

B) Two students held one paper towel over a brown tank. Third students poured water in the middle of the towel. Then students started counting the drops of water that the towel absorbed until it started leaking.

 

C )Students explored which plastic bag is the strongest. Plastic bags were cut out in rectangles size: 15cm x3cm and hung on an experimental holder and than students hang different weights on the bags until they broke.

 

D) Here students researched how does the shape and size of the parachute determine the time of it's free fall.

As a reward for their hard work students were invited to a CSI workshop where they used 5 laboratory exercizes in order to identify the suspect that stole the computers from school.