This is a series of two activities that should be used to support students in understanding the difference between experimental and theoretical probability

Students work as engineers to design and test trebuchets (in this case LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robots) that can launch objects. During the testing stage, they change one variable at a time to study its effect on the outcome of their designs. Specifically, they determine how far objects travel depending on their weights. As students learn about the different components of robot design and the specific function controls, they determine what design features are important for launching objects.

Students conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of each of three liquids water, rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil can be placed on a penny before spilling over. Because of their different surface tensions, more water can be piled on top of a penny than either of the other two liquids. However, the main point of the activity is for students to come up with an explanation for their observations about the different amounts of liquids a penny can hold. To do this, they create hypotheses that explain their observations, and because middle school students are not likely to have prior knowledge of the property of surface tension, their hypotheses are not likely to include this idea. Then they are asked to come up with ways to test their hypotheses, although they do not need to actually conduct these tests as part of this activity.

Co-authored with Kaitlin Read and Udaya DatlaCan you remember a time you've been sick? Why aren't you still sick? How did you get better?Join Udaya Sree Datla, a doctoral student in translational biology, medicine, and health at Virginia Tech, as she presents Infections, Germs, and Immune Cells. The accompanying lessons and resources provide students with an introduction to germs, the immune system, and the career path of an immunologist, all while emphasizing the importance of handwashing and incorporating a computer science twist. The second lesson capitalizes on an opportunity to integrate computer science by introducing students to the career path of computer programming and constructing a set of step-by-step instructions (algorithms) either independently or collaboratively to sequence the steps of handwashing. These resources are part of the Advancing Computer Science Education Grant to support the implementation of Virginia's Computer Science Standards of Learning in partnership with Floyd County Public Schools with additional support from Virginia Tech's Center for Communicating Science and the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology.