Structures and Sand Dazzle Harbor’s Young Scientists

The scientific wonders of the world are engaging young learners at Seaford Harbor Elementary School through hands-on experiments. Second graders constructed towers for an engineering project, while fourth graders explored erosion.  

Students from Deidre Baldassarre and Dana Greci’s classes came together to build towers out of pipe cleaners. It was part of a liquids and solids science unit. Second graders explored the properties of solids before moving on to the engineering challenge. Each pair had 20 pipe cleaners and their goal was to build the tallest, free-standing tower possible. 

They explored the strength of different shapes, which helped them make a strong base. After their first build, each team discussed the outcome before constructing a second tower. Ms. Baldassarre and Ms. Greci noted that real scientists try again when they don’t succeed while learning from their failures.   

Fourth graders in Mary Moy’s class have been immersed in a weathering and erosion unit. To explore the causes of erosion, they did an experiment that looked at different variables. Each group got a tub of sand and added water to see its effects. Changes such as putting the tub at steeper angle and pouring the in the water faster to simulate a flood produced different results.  

The young scientists also looked at solutions to prevent erosion. One group built a wall with blocks at the edge of the sand, while another constructed a dam with wooden sticks in the middle. After all of the simulations were complete, students compared results. 

Other activities in the unit included putting sugar cubes into water, placing rocks into jars of vinegar and making fossils.