Pinnacle Academy 2015-2016 School Year
Welcome to Mrs. Petti's Fourth Grade!
Week 4 science investigations:
The students designed and tested paper helicopters with different wing lengths and body lengths.
Week 4 math / science investigations:
The students constructed polyhedra (3D shapes made of polygons) and then got the idea to spin them like tops. Next came spinning competitions! Overheard in the excitement: "That spun so long!"
"Yes, 'cause we're scientists!"
Safiya and Emir spun a 20-sided icosahedron and a 10-sided decagon.
Ian was the first student to think of spinning a polyhedron. First, he spun a square pyramid on its flat side, and then, after several attempts, he got it to spin on its vertex. A new sport was borh!
In addition to the spinning, Ian observed a rainbow of colors.
Ian's idea caught on as other students spun other polyhedra.
Later (not shown), Ian spun his top inside of a square to corral it.
Above, students spun a square pyramid, a 10-sided decagon, a 20-sided icosahedron, and a polyhedron made of 16 triangles (8 on one side and 8 on the other, like a 3D octagon).
To the right, Jasmine and Saliha compared the spinning of a top made from 8 triangles and one made of 16 triangles (with a second triangle fanning out from each of the connected triangles). Though the flower-like top finished a hair later, it was also launched about a second later, so we think it was probably a tie (or possibly the 8-sided top won).