Spinning Ghosts!
Since children learn best by doing, we try to provide opportunities for hands-on, child-driven inquiry.
In this activity, the students began by cutting around the outline of a paper ghost with outstretched arms. When we dropped our ghosts from a height, the children observed that they simply “floated” to the ground. Together, we brainstormed why this might be, and what we could do to change this outcome. If we wanted the ghost to spin around as it floated down, what modifications could we make to the ghost? The children made many interesting suggestions including putting tape on the ghost, dropping it forcefully point down, and turning our wrists as we dropped it.
I held up four variations of the ghost and explained how each had been altered. (The first ghost had a paper clip attached to the bottom, the second ghost had a paper clip at the bottom and both arms were folded forward, the third ghost had a paper clip at the bottom and one arm was bent forward while the other was bent back, and the forth ghost had no paperclip and no folds.) We then predicted which of the four ghosts would spin like a helicopter and made a graph of our predictions. We examined the data and calculated how many people voted for each option. Next, the children took turns dropping each ghost and we observed how it looked as it fell. (Ghost #1 dropped straight down. Ghost #2 tumbled end over end. Ghost #3 spun. Ghost #4 floated to the ground.) Why did these outcomes happen?
Each child brought his or her own experiences and knowledge to this investigative process. Through the sharing of ideas, the children helped each other develop theories, hypotheses, and strategies for modifying the ghost to make it spin. Together, we posed more questions: What effect does the paperclip have on making the ghost spin? Does the size of the paperclip matter? Does the colour of the paperclip matter? Does it make a difference where you fasten the paperclip? What effect do the arm folds have on making the ghost spin? Does the kind of paper make a difference? How does _____ affect _____? What would happen if ...? The children continued experimenting with their ghosts. They made their own choices, controlled the variables, and were leaders of their own learning.
Scientific investigation and experimentation contribute to children’s learning in many ways:
• The children developed their inquiry skills by observing the “Demonstration” ghost float to the ground, and by forming the question, “What can we do to this paper ghost to make it spin?”
• When the children discussed the procedure we would follow, made predictions, represented this information graphically, noted their observations, discovered relationships, discussed their results, learned through trial and error, and made further adjustments to their ghosts they engaged in elements of the scientific method.
• The children practiced problem-solving skills, cooperation, helping skills, and communication while taking turns and exchanging ideas with each other as they experimented.