NorthwestMom Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Arrggh. I hate it when a piece of curriculum requires a craft/experiment that is never going to work as intended. 7yo DD and I just made an anemometer out of a paper plate, screwdriver, and 4 plastic cups. The thing is so rickety that it is never going to measure wind speed, yet we're supposed to track it and chart it for a week and of course DD is all for it. Arrgh. It was a pain to make and now we'll be revisiting the pain every day when it won't revolve properly. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I totally agree with you. It infuriates me that the curriculum developer has obviously not taken the time to see (a) if the experiment/project will work at all and (b) if it is reasonable for a child to do the bulk of the work. In my mind this is something we pay for when we purchase curriculum, that it has been tested under varying conditions (like varying levels of motor development) and found to be robust enough to work well regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I always laugh when I see experiments that have a pin going into any part of a pencil. LOL It seems like such a good idea, until you try it. I wonder if sometimes the inventor had just the perfect paper cup, and the one I own isn't exactly the same or that they borrowed the idea from a book or other source, and obviously it worked previously (or they wouldn't have published it ... right :) but they didn't try it themselves.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Somehow we were supposed to use our weather station made out of paper plates and cups to track weather. That was a funny sentence! I think I'll call my mom in Arizona and tell her about it, on my tin can phone... I'll raise my hand and say I also hate projects where it's obvious that a child can't do any of the work involved. There's no point to those projects. I only pick things that the kids can do themselves--or at least the bulk of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 We ended up buying a weather station kit because the homemade ones were not so hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 We ended up buying a weather station kit because the homemade ones were not so hot. What kit did you buy? Was it worth it? I agree with previous posters that way too often people put ideas out there without testing them at all...especially aggrevating when you've paid for a curriculum or spent time and money on a class...grrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 (edited) What kit did you buy? Was it worth it? :iagree: Cough it up, Auntie. Pssst: a little birdie told me it was http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BNUEM0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00004WKSW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=15MXZJ62ME3YTQK695DW Edited October 4, 2009 by kalanamak ask and ye shall receive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 This brings back my long-repressed memory of trying a papyrus kit when oldest DD was studying ancients for the first time. We soaked and pounded and soaked and pounded for weeks, and in the end, what did we have? Strips of papyrus that refused to hold together. So much for writing heiroglyphs on "Authentic" Egyptian paper! At least the mummified apple worked out..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I haven't tried this one but it looks pretty good and it's from my favorite science supply company (I'm sure people here think I designed the Science in a Nutshell kits, I pimp them so often). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 We were scheduled to do this same experiment a couple of weeks ago. Dd took one look at the instructions and laughed, saying, "That will NEVER work!" so we skipped it. She has seen an anemometer at a nearby weather station and understands the concept. I agree, some of the experiments are a total waste of time, energy, and supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 We just did a physical science experiment w/a spoon and light. The experiment said focal point should be when figure turns upside down is spoon, well. Figure started out upside down and never changed, no matter how close or far. Is it us that are defective or the spoon????? Oh yeah, I HATE SCIENCE!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I totally hear you! You are not alone... see this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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