This week's challenge is to build a chain reaction machine with items you have around the house. A chain reaction machine is a machine that has a series of actions and reactions. Unlike the marble run, you don't have a single object move through the whole machine, instead one item reacts to an action made by another item - on down the line. The more actions/reactions, the more interesting the machine. I want you to list the actions/reactions for me when you send me your machine, I'll show an example below.

​Here's what I made. From items in my house.

Here's a slo-mo video of my chain reaction machine at work.

Mrs. Bisson's Chain Reaction Machine:

1. Begin by rotating first mug handle counter-clockwise. 
2. First mug rotates second mug.
3. Second mug rolls tea canister forward.
4. Tea canister rolls down ramp.
5. Tea canister rolls onto large spoon lever. 
6. Spoon lever releases golf ball.
7. Golf ball rolls into shoe insert.
8. Shoe insert lifts upside-down bowl.
9. Upside down bowl releases marbles.
10. Marbles drop onto xylophone keys.
11. Marbles strike xylophone keys.
12. Xylophone keys vibrate.
13. Vibrating xylophone keys emit sound.

Please send me a list like this with the video of your chain reaction machine. You can email me your video and list to [email protected]. This challenge was inspired by the Exploratorium and they are collecting chain reaction videos. If a parent is willing, you can tweet your video using the hashtags #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction and #sfbrandeismakes. It's also worth a little Twitter time to see what other folks have come up with. Their are some amazing ideas!

Dear Middle Schoolers,

Perhaps you've been sitting at home wearing essentially the same thing each day. Maybe you'd love a haircut. Perhaps you are craving a new look. Maybe none of these are true and you just want to dig into a totally random project.

Your challenge is to build yourself a wig out of materials around the house. You can do this with just paper, scissors, and tape. If you have hot glue, a ruler, or aluminum foil on hand, those can be helpful. Please see the intro video for some helpful tips and information.

Here are some additional sources and inspiration:
​Martha Stewart does a good tutorial on paper wigs.
​This tutorial is also quite good.

Please email me what you come up with [email protected].

Lastly, I leave you with some photos of wig making happening at our house. This includes a rare photo of Mr. Bisson.

Be Well,
​Mrs. Bisson

​Welcome to your second all school challenge. This week we will be tower building with non-traditional materials. Please watch the intro video below.

Challenge Guidelines:

• You goal is to build the tallest tower you can.
• A height measurement begins on the surface you place the first item on. If you build on a table. The table height does not count toward the tower height.
• You must use non-building, building materials. No Legos or other blocks/construction kits. You must use ordinary, household objects.
• Do not use breakable items. Towers fall. Be safe.

Here are some photos of my tower below. Mine was about 70 inches. Can you outdo me?

Here are some questions to consider after you've built your tower. You can write them down, talk about them, or just think about them to yourself:

• What role did weight of the items you used play in the building of your tower?
• What role did shape of the items you used play in the building of your tower?
• What roles did size of the items you used play in the building of your tower?
• What role did symmetry play in the building of your tower?
• What ideas for building your tower were most successful?
• What was your worst idea? What did you learn form that idea?
• What would you do differently if you did this challenge again?

If you want to learn more about some famous skyscrapers and how tall structures are built. Check out the links below:
​How High Can Skyscrapers Go?
How Do Skyscrapers Work?
​This piece on the Statue of Liberty also offers interesting insight on how tall structures were constructed.




Please take a picture of your tower and have an adult email it to me [email protected] or, if your adult is comfortable, you share on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtags #sfbrandeismakes.

For the Week of 3/30-4/3

​We are going to switch things up a bit and move away from individual grade projects to whole school challenges. If you have a Brandeis sibling, this will give you a project can work on together. Parents, you are welcome to help out too. The goals here is to have fun, be creative, and think about how we can reimagine basic items around our homes.

For the first project all you need is a marble (K-4 students I sent one home in your CREATE supplies) and your imagination. Please watch the intro video below.

​

Challenge Guidelines:
The same marble needs to begin and end the course.
We are trying to keep the marble rolling for the longest possible time.
Any items around the house are fair game.


There's lots of inspiration to be found online. Some of my favorites, like this one, are aspirational but full of good ideas. Others, like this one, seem more doable at home.

You can orient vertically like the ones shown above or more horizontally like mine below. I gave myself the challenge of ringing a bell at the end.

Most importantly, have fun. Please send a video of your creation to [email protected] or, if your parents wish, post to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #sfbrandeismakes.
​

Dearest Kindergarten Friends,

​I hope you had a good week of learning at home. This week in our CREATE lesson we are going to start to learn some basic sewing skills. You'll need the paper heart and the purple yarn/needle from your supply kit. Watch the video below to learn about your first sewing stitch.

Take time practicing your running stitch. It should look something like the photo below.

When you feel comfortable with your running stitch, click on the video below to learn about a whip stitch.

Your whip stitch should look something like the photo below.

When you are comfortable with the whip stitch, click on the final video to learn how to do a cross stitch.

The photo of a nearly complete cross stitch is below. I ran out of yarn! If that happens to you too, don't worry. We are just practicing sewing for now.

Thank you for sewing with me. If you make anything you want to share, email me a photo at [email protected].

Dearest Kindergarten Friends,

​Welcome to our first week of distance learning! 

We are starting off our time together by making pinwheels.

Grab you brown bag of CREATE materials, some scissors, and some coloring supplies.

​There are two instructional videos for you to watch on how to make your pinwheel.

Watch this video first.

Before watching the next video, take your time and enjoy coloring the pinwheel paper. Color both sides with your favorite colors and patterns.

Have fun experimenting with your pinwheel. If you want to share a photo or short video of your pinwheel you can email me at [email protected]. You can also leave comments or questions here on this blog.

Find a safe spot for your extra materials and I'll be back next week with a new activity.

Until we meet again,
​Mrs. Bisson

P.S. I had a request for the pinwheel template. Here's a PDF below.

Video Instructions for this portion below.

Video directions for this portion below.

Nestle the xylophone in the box and secure with a cork or two on the sawed off end to prevent the xylophone from jiggling around. The xylophone should be on the portion of the box that is bigger, as decided by the side holes. ​

Video directions for finishing up below.

It's music box time!

Your challenge is to use the materials in your work packet to build a working music box. A working music box makes music when you turn the crank. The crank need to activate the mallets, which then hit the xylophone to make music.

This is a 2 week project. We'll start this week and finish up the following week. In your packets you should have the materials listed below. You should also have one marble. Please put the marble in a safe place for an upcoming project.

I will post video instructions and written instructions. I provided you with nearly all the materials, including tape and a hot glue gun. I did not have enough low temperature glue guns for everyone so some are regular glue guns. Please only us the hot glue when an adult can supervise. You will also need a pair of scissors, a ruler, and a pencil.

Please begin by watching this intro video.

Part 1 - Build the Box
​From the chipboard sheets, measure and cut:
1 - 6"x8" rectangle
1 - 6"x3" rectangle
1 6"x1.5" rectangle
2 - 8"x3" rectangles

Part 2 - Build the Drum
Take your 5" section of 3"tube. This is your drum. Line drum up along the xylophone section and use a small piece of colored masking tape to mark where the drum aligns with each key. Then use larger masking tape piece to make a ring around the entire drum for each key.

Using a ruler, make a straight line down the drum that crosses the tape lines. I used a tape measure but you do not need to be so exact. Just try to divide the drum into 10, relatively equal sections.

Now you can decided what you want your xylophone to play. A push-pin centered in a tape-square will make one note. Do not glue pins. You may need to make adjustments later on.

​For video of these instructions, see below.

 Then you need to seal the ends of the drum. I bought a bunch of 3" round, disposable coasters. I use a circle template (below) to find the center and then punched a hole in the center using a pushpin and then a pencil. Since my coasters are plain white, I used colored Sharpies to decorate them in the same color scheme as the xylophone. Then I assembled the 2 coasters and drum along a 12" long 3/16" dowel. Use hot glue  or tape to secure the coasters to each end of the drum. Center the drum on the dowel and attach with hot glue(try to avoid big lumps!). 

This is the end of lesson 1. Find a safe place for the parts you constructed and we'll finish up next week. Be sure to save the extra pieces of chipboard. We will need those next week too.

If you have a question, email me at [email protected] or leave a comment below. All comments are screened before being posted