Grade 4 Scientist Case: The Heavy for Size Investigations

How does a scientist think about the relationship between the weight and volume of a material? In this scientist case, you‘ll see Professor Chris Swan comparing the same earth materials that the students investigate in the Heavy for Size section of the 4th grade Inquiry Project curriculum. Knowing how a scientist thinks about these activities will help you listen to your students’ ideas about the weights, volumes, and “heaviness for size” of different earth materials.

Dr. Christopher Swan is Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University. He does research in the areas of waste reuse, recycling, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering.

Dr. Sara Lacy is a senior scientist at TERC.