Fifth graders at Cider Mill School tried not to lose their marbles on Thursday at the schools annual invention convention. Each year, the science department has the graduating class of the school creates marble mazes ending with the convention where the mazes are presented to their parents and the other students of the school.
The projects demonstrate use of scientific concepts including simple machines and physics that the students will be learning in middle school.
Kevin Meehan, the science instructional teacher, who guides the science curriculum and the convention said, The great part about it is, their inventions many times did not work, that is what we are really teaching them what variables are affecting the outcome.
Everything involved with the Invention Convention is done at the school and the school is able to control how much support each child receives. Every kid feels good about their project, somebodys does not look any better than somebody elses, said Meehan about eliminating parental help.
The students are responsible for coming up with a theme for their inventions with many students, using cups to have the marbles land in to predict future outcomes ranging from which team will win the World Series, to dating celebrities, to being attacked by a shark. They also need to make sure their inventions work reliably.
It has taken us years to actually fine tune it, Meehan said, to have everything work for the kids.
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