Change in the Sand A Third Grade STEM Challenge

Scenario: You are at the beach and drop your bag just as you are going across the boardwalk. All of your coins and keys spill down into the sand below.

Challenge Now you must design and build something to retrieve your stuff without getting off the boardwalk. (You don't want to disturb the sand dunes!)

Requirements Stay on the boardwalk (which is 10 feet above the sand.) Retrieve change and keys without retrieving sand along with it. Demonstrate understanding of magnets and separating mixtures in your discussion, project log, and design. Work as a team!

Materials: Cardboard tubes String Masking tape Magnets Pails Sieves Netting Paper Sand Coins Keys Ladder

Assessment: Goal012 Effectiveness of Product We were not able to pick up the coins and keys. We were able to pick up the coins and keys but also picked up sand. We were able to pick up the coins and keys without picking up sand. Group Work Our team did not get along at all. Some members of our team did more work than others. Everyone shared the work load and made decisions together. Understanding of Magnets We did not mention magnets at all in our discussion or project log. We talked about magnets in our planning but did not write about them in our project log. We showed a thorough understanding of magnets in both our conversation and our project log. Understanding of Separating Mixtures We did not mention separating mixtures in our discussion or project log. We talked about separating mixtures in our planning but did not write about it in our project log. We showed a thorough understanding of magnets in both our conversation and our project log. Overall Score and Notes: