Students get the marble rolling

Competition helps fifth-graders explore basic physics

 

By Jennifer Sakey

C & G Staff Writer

     When fifth-graders at Guardian Angels School in Clawson learned about the laws of motion, they put their knowledge to the test with a hands-on project that involved a little friendly competition.

     On Feb. 23 the school’s two fifth-grade classrooms challenged each other’s science skills during the annual Great Marble Race. The event required teams of three to four students to construct vertical racetracks on which a marble would roll. Unlike traditional races, though, the team with the slowest time would win.    

     Students had to use their knowledge of the laws of motion — and their creativity — to assemble tracks that would slow their marbles down as much as possible, without making them stop altogether.

     “This project gives everyone a chance to express ideas, since I require that all students have a plan and reasons for that plan,” said teacher Nancy Sadowski. “They try to think of real-life situations where speed is not wanted [like] speed bumps in a parking lot. They must use so much of their skills just to create a track that will allow the marble to travel all the way down.”

     Teams constructed their racetracks using identical bags of supplies that included pieces of wood, screws, rope and film canisters. They had five days to perfect their tracks and test them before competing against other teams.

     “It taught us a lot about the l aw of friction and how to work together as a team,” said Diana Gomez, 10.

     On the day of the race, the two classrooms convened and each team had three chances to achieve the slowest time possible. Students cheered each other on and some of them crossed their fingers as the marbles made their way down the tracks. Times varied from 3.7 seconds to as much as 9.9 seconds depending on how much friction and how many obstacles a track incorporated.

     “The children really enjoy the competition,” said Sadowski. “They get to see their ideas take shape.”

     After everyone took a turn, the winning team from each classroom competed once more to determine a final winner. The top team won with a score of 9.86 seconds, but the opposing team wasn’t far behind, with a score of 9.46 seconds.

     “We put dabs of glue on part of the track, and I’m guessing that’s what slowed it down the most,” said Nicole Lorenz, 10, who was on the winning team.

     Lorenz said that she is particularly proud that her team won because she is following in the footsteps of her older brother Brian, an eighth-grader, who was a runner-up in the same competition when he was in fifth-grade.

     She also appreciated the praise she and her classmates received while working on the project.

     “I liked most that Mrs. Sadowski said we were the quietest, listened to each other the most and got the most done,” said Lorenz.

     Now that the race is over, Lorenz’s team and the second-place team will have a chance to show off their projects to the rest of the school.

     “I display the winning tracks during our Open House, and younger students really look forward to fifth-grade science,” said Sadowski.

     You can reach Jennifer Sakey at jsakey@candgnews.com