Ava’s Unit of Inquiry on Communication

November 13, 2013-

 Ava's second grade class at IST just completed their Unit of Inquiry : Communication. In this UoI the kids could choose a communication device to research and design their own.  

Ava chose the telegraph….and one weekend morning Mark and Ava created a functioning telegraph using parts and tools we already had at home.  See???  You can create all kinds of things if you just use your imagination!

I think Ava is well on her way to becoming a mechanical engineer….what do you think? :

Ava brought in her home-made telegraph to show to her classmates.  I think the others were surprised that it actually worked…and other got some minor burns because when the device was hooked up to the battery it heated up too fast and caused too much heat.  Redesign, anyone?

The grade 2 classes held a Parent Tea where the kids showed off the research they did on their chosen device.  

Here's Ava's telegraph design (this is not the one she built with Mark!).  Do you think this design could work?:

Ava showing us the telegraph she built with Mark:

Getting a little demo:

Other communication devices that kids chose: satellites, printers, hieroglyphics, along with several others.