Windbag Wigwams

Each week in our new Fun Funky Fungineering class we give our Fungineers an engineering challenge. This week the challenge is to build a free-standing structure using "Windbags."

Here is the script for the mission and a video! Enjoy and replicate!

Greetings Fungineers!

I am Agent B.

My true identity must remain secret for reasons of national security.

We need your help.

In 1962 the world’s first successful interplanetary mission happened when the United States sent the space probe Mariner 2 to Venus.

Science of Airflow, Motion, and Lift

Every week, Madison (my 10-year old daughter) and I teach a 1.5-hour afterschool science club for K-2^nd graders.  Each week she helps plan the lesson and then we write the blog about what we did. 

We have provided links to the books we used to sneak in some literacy.  We learned most of the science experiments and activities from Steve Spangler (awesome speaker and science guy extraordinaire).  We have included links to his science supplies, experiments, and videos.  We also include links to our YouTube videos. These links take you away from the blog and to external websites.

Lesson 6

Science of Airflow, Motion and Lift

Science Standards Addressed:

• Make observations, predict results and develop questions (Puff Cars).

• Know that air takes up space and exerts a force (Potato Launcher, Windbags).

• Observe that the motion of an object can be affected by pushing or pulling it (Ping Pong Balls and Wind Bags).

• Describe ways to make things move and what causes them to stop (Puff Cars, Ping Pong Balls, Potato Launcher).

• Describe how force can change an object’s motion (Puff Cars, Potato Launcher, Ping Pong Balls).

To create curiosity and a little healthy confusion, we put out a snack of raw potatoes and juice. The potatoes were really for our grand finale’ activity.

Then we brought out the real snack.