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