How the World Works

The children in PS3 have just completed a unit of ‘How the world works’, where they investigated into ‘people use knowledge of forces and energy to make things move’. When reflecting on this unit the class chose some of their favourite moments that they wanted to share.

Rocket Balloon Experiment

A question was posed to the children, which string allows the balloon to move the quickest and why? The children worked in small groups and selected which strings they wanted to race the balloons (which were secured to a straw to allow free movement on the string). They decided that they need to be fair with their testing and that each balloon should have the same amount of air in and that they should be let go at the same time. The children made predictions and started to experiment. Their understanding was phenomenal as they predicted that a ribbon would allow the rocket to travel faster as ‘it is silky’, but there was a problem…the balloon did not move. This led the children into a further investigation into why it would not move. After repeating the experiment several times, they came to an understanding, ‘it is stuck because the straw is thin and the ribbon is wide’ making connections that too much friction was causing the balloon not to move, even though the string was ‘silky’.

Making a Simple Machine

The children had learnt about forces are a push or pull and had come to an understanding that energy is the ability to do work. They had investigated into simple machines and had decided that they ‘make work easier’. With this knowledge a challenge was set, the making corner was fully stocked with boxes, containers and other junk. On display was a question, can you make a simple machine? The children needed no more explanation. They set off to design their machines and discussed who they wanted to work with, some set to the challenge alone, while others decided that they wanted to work with a friend. The classroom was buzzing with ideas and activity. Once completed, the children explained their model to their friends and reflected upon their work, ‘I am proud of my teamwork’, ‘we talked together, so we can help each other’ and ‘I found new ideas’ are to name a few. It was evident that the children were proud of their understanding and had used their self-management and thinking skills to become independent learners.

The children had so much fun designing experiments and adapting them with their teachers. They learned through play and took ownership of their learning. When faced with this big idea the children had many wonderings about what was a force and how do we use

them. Through these experiments, they learned new information and adapted their thinking to form new understandings. Confucius once said, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” It is evident that these little ones have new found understanding of such an abstract concept.
PS 3 Team

Human systems and economic activities	The study of how and why people construct organizations and systems; the ways in which people connect locally and globally; the distribution of power and authority.
Social organization and culture	The study of people, communities, cultures and societies in the ways in which individuals, groups and societies interact with each other.
Continuity and change through time	The study of the relationships between people and events through time; the past, its influences on the present and its implications for the future; people who have shaped the future through their actions.
Human and natural environments	The study of the distinctive features that give a place its identity; how people adapt to and alter their environment; how people experience and represent place; the impact of natural disasters on people and the built environment.
Resources and the environment	The interaction between people and the environment; the study of how humans allocate and manage resources; the positive and negative effects of this management; the impact of scientific and technological developments on the environment.

Living things	The study of the characteristics, systems and behaviours of humans and other animals, and of plants; the interactions and relationships between and among them, and with their environment.
Earth and space	The study of planet Earth and its position in the universe, particularly its relationship with the sun; the natural phenomena and systems that shape the planet and the distinctive features that identify it; the infinite and finite resources of the planet.
Materials and matter	The study of the properties, behaviours and uses of materials, both natural and human-made; the origins of human-made materials and how they are manipulated to suit a purpose.
Forces and energy	The study of energy, its origins, storage and transfer, and the work it can do; the study of forces; the application of scientific understanding through inventions and machines. (IBO, 2009)

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