Duration: 1 – 2 session
SPIRIT Skills:
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Resilience
- Connectedness
- Sense of wonder
Brief Description:
Teams run fair tests outdoors, record bubble size and longevity, and note conditions (wind/shade). They repeat trials and keep roles rotating for accuracy.
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
- Strengthens critical thinking by collecting evidence, spotting patterns, and comparing results fairly
- Develops problem-solving through controlled changes and improvements based on data
- Builds resilience by normalizing failed trials and encouraging calm iteration
- Reinforces connectedness through shared roles, shared sense-making, and respectful disagreement
- Keeps sense of wonder alive through direct observation of surprising results and “What if?” questions.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
As a result of this activity, students (will be able to/understand/do …):
- Critical thinking: record consistent data across repeated trials and identify at least one pattern from results.
- Problem-solving: change one variable at a time and use results to decide the next test.
- Resilience: respond to failed bubbles by trying again with a new strategy (technique, wand adjustment, or recipe tweak).
- Connectedness: rotate roles and collaborate to keep testing fair and organized.
- Sense of wonder: ask at least one new question based on what they observe during testing.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
Analysis phase: evidence-based reasoning, fair testing, repeated trials.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
Data charts, timers, size reference circles, wind/shade log, clipboards.
Preparation notes
Mark test zones; demonstrate “one variable rule”; model one clean data entry.
Guided Questions
- “What variable are you changing today?”
- “What stayed the same to keep the test fair?”
- “What does your data suggest you should try next?”
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- “Did your evidence match your hypothesis? What might explain it?”
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- Challenge: Students change multiple variables.
Tip: a “fair test checker” role + checklist before each trial. - Challenge: Data gets inconsistent.
Tip: standardize: same blower, same dip time, same count method.