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0A firm foundation is a recipe for success. Lisa Martin’s 1st grade enrichment students put their STEM thinking to the test building a “skeleton” sturdy enough to stand up.
The theme for 1st grade enrichment is “Foundations,” and the main unit is the human body. Beginning with the skeletal system, the class discusses the necessity of creating a good foundation. To reenforce the concept, they took on the Marshmallow Challenge, using 20 pieces of spaghetti, about a yard of masking tape, and 10 marshmallows to build the tallest possible standing structure with a marshmallow at the very top.
After the initial build, they measured and talked about what worked and what didn’t. They discussed the similarities to our skeletal system and looked at sample structures online, focusing on understanding the general idea of needing a strong foundation and how it compares to the skeletal system.
As a follow-up, they did the same activity again later in the day, and the results improved significantly.
Martin was pleased to see the perseverance and problem-solving of her class.
“We discussed having a growth mindset and the need to keep trying even when it’s hard.”
— This article provided by the Fayette County School System.
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