10-2-08 - Black Box Activity

After discussing Chapter 3 in Ready, Set, Science, we did the Black Box Activity using the placemat form from the FOSS set. First we read about conceptual and physical models from the FOSS book. Then we split a sheet of paper into one centered rectangle with four individual spots for each group member to write in. Then we each individually investigated what we thought was in the four black boxes that our group received. After individually making predictions, we discussed our findings as a group and came to one combined group answer. Our group decided that there was a sphere (marble) in each box and that they varied in size. We predicted that Box D had the biggest marble followed in descending order by Box A, Box C, and Box B. As it turned out, we were really off course with our prediction. All the boxes did contain a marble, but they were all the same size. Different cardboard shapes placed in the boxes caused the differences. Box A had a triangle in the bottom left corner; Box B had a square in the bottom center; Box C had two squares in a stair-step shape in the bottom left corner; Box D had a triangle with the right side of the box as the base of the triangle. This was a really neat activity, but the best part was the placemat activity format. This is a nice way to approach group work and I had never seen this done before.