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Experimentation Report

Profile of teachers

How many teachers from your school are going to be involved with this piloting?

Number of teachers 1-2

If they are specialists, what are their subject areas?

Andreas Stage German, Arts, Craft

Profile of students

What age are the pupils ( please give the ages not the year group. For example 8 – 9yrs)?

4. Class

Have they done a similar activity before

Yes Not

X

How many students are in the piloting group and how many girls/boys?

Girls Boys Total

6 11 17

Name of the school Schule am Halmerweg

Name of the teacher Andreas Stage

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Structure of the Piloting

The different tasks:

Task 1:

To the children was presented a prepared, sealed box, which was equipped with

the two cross-links (vertical / horizontal). First, the children should make a

sketch which should include assumptions about how it might look in the box.

The prepared sketches contained three different assumptions:

• The bars in the box do not touch yourself.

• The bars in the box contact each other at the top.

• The bars in the box touch the center (cross).

Task 2: (advanced problem)

Children should examine and modify their results to the effect that the vertical

scroll bar (turn) should, when the horizontal bar is moved (rotated).

The modified sketches now contained with few exceptions, all the assumption

that the two rods would intersect in the box ticking /.

Finally, the original box is opened and the assumptions were compared with

reality and discussed.

Task 3:

Implementation of the last issue:

The bars should be limited each turn. At this point, the available materials were

presented. The children asked to first estimates and accompanied them orally, in

which she named the needed materials.

Since I had not considered accidental, that the horizontal bar must be so long

that he has to come out on the opposite side, so he just has, resulted in the

construction of the other, very interesting problem: The horizontal bar needed in

the middle the box holder provides, so he runs in a stable leadership. Again, the

children went to an interesting exchange and come to exciting solutions.

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What have been the main learning objective of this mini-piloting There are three main learning objektives of this mini-piloting.

First the students have to imagine what will be in the box before they have seen it.

Second they have to think over and modify their imagines whithin the problem that one of the sticks should

move while I move the other.

Third they have to think about the material they need to realize the task.

What were the expectations of the children

In the beginning the children were amazed at the simplicity of the task. After the enlargement

(the first stick has to move when I move the other) they became corious. And finally their

ambitions were aroused so solve the problem.

What has been ex post the self evaluation of children We used the questionnaires and a roundtabletalk with the children

What has been the feedback of the teachers

It is very interesting how different the children act to come to a solution.

The more, if they have no idea what the problem is in the beginning. You as a teacher

have to stand and let the children search for a solution

What went well

We have decided to increase the degree of difficulty during the process to see how the

children deal with this situation. There was no frustration during the process and all of them

found a personal solution. There was a kind of teamwork and help between the children

during the process, because they had to solve the problem

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What can be improved

It might be interesting to have two different groups, work with different equipment or have a

different task.