News & Press Releases
Old-Fashioned Watermelon Spitting Turns Out to be a Teachable Moment
Last Friday, August 15, 2008, ICS 7th and 8th graders participated in a joint math-science lab requiring them to indulge in a great Hoosier tradition – spitting watermelon seeds for distance. Typically an arguably uncouth exercise to impress peers, the seed-spitting session turned out to be an entertaining collaborative learning experience devised by Ms. Jacobs and Mrs. Richardson, the ICS' science and math teachers.
Those students who were too dignified to actually spit the seeds could flick them, toss them, or otherwise hurl them. Working in groups, students had to first predict the distance of their seed launch (whatever the method), then refine their predictions over three trials. Follow-up activities included analysis and graphing of results, touching upon several Indiana educational math and science standards. Of note, the watermelon (locally grown on the Waterman farm) was delicious and the summer weather was perfect. Our thanks go to three ICS parents who graciously helped out during this unique event: Bridget Finn, Billy Roe, and Kelley Purvis.