Soda Straw Balance

Experiment Title: Soda Straw Balance Grade Level: 3rd Grade Process-oriented objectives: The students will be able to measure weights of very small objects using the soda straw balance. Processes addressed: observing, communicating, measuring, predicting, and inferring NSES Content Standards: A &E Source of Experiment: Formulating and testing hypothesis; experimenting and constructing model. Materials: straws, bolts or screws, pins, equal sided blocks, and scissors. Safety Precautions: Teacher should help students insert pin through straw …

…Ask students which objects weigh more than others and why. Expected conclusion: Students will know the difference between the weights of certain objects and how this weight differs when other variables are added. Evaluation/ Assessment: Students can be given objects to make predictions about. After they have made their predictions, they can see if their predictions are correct by using the balance. Applications to real life: Insight into weights and measurements of small everyday things.