Can You Save Fred?

We had an exciting, & DElicious, start to a year full of fun Science experiments this month when we started learning about the scientific method through a partner activity full of yummy gumminess.
The story…
Fred, the gummy worm, has been spending his time boating on the lake near his home. He is not too bright, he is a worm after all. He has never learned to swim & he never wears his life preserver. The worst has finally happened! Fred’s boat has capsized & he is stuck! His life preserver is caught under the boat, but he cannot reach it without falling into the water & drowning. Can you save FRED?
Division 8’s job was to save Fred with a partner using only 4 paper clips. They could not touch Fred, the boat, or the life preserver directly with their hands, only with the 4 large paper clips they were given.
Successful students stabbed or pierced Fred with the paperclip instead of simply lifting him with them. Students tried “pushing,” “shoving” or “squeezing” Fred into his life preserver, but stretching the life preserver before putting Fred in seemed to garner the most success!
Click HERE to see more photos of our journey through the scientific method!