Girls, Tinkering, and Science

The Hewitt School sixth graders in this video have been challenged to apply their knowledge of potential and kinetic energy in constructing a “Rube Goldberg” machine that will use a series of mechanical steps to ring a bell. And while the assignment is pretty lo-tech, that really doesn’t matter. Research tells us that girls learn STEM best when they are allowed to collaborate and tinker and, as you can see, the excitement and engagement is definitely palpable.