Tunnels - Week 7

Straws and Water Beads

The implementation of the seventh inquiry involved children expanding on their exploration of the big idea "Where did it go?" The children wanted to study the motion of an object passing through another. In this activity children explored with large straws and water beads. The children put the water beads through the straws and watched them slide down. Some children noticed that some water beads were too big and broke into pieces when they tried putting them in the straw. Children either picked up the pieces and placed them in the straw or picked a smaller bead. The children watched the bead slide down the straw and then shook the straw when the bead got stuck. Some children put their finger inside to push the bead further but discovered their fingers weren't long enough. Some concepts the children learned during this activity include the concept of motion, cause and effect, fine motor skills and directionality.