Gator third graders explore Halloween physics

Student and teacher watch cup slide down string

Future Fermis and up-and-coming Curies at Giffen Elementary School spent Friday using physics to determine the best ways to deliver Halloween candy in a COVID-safe way.

Led by teacher Rebecca Bustelos, the third graders learned about gravity, friction and force as they studied how different types of Halloween candy could be distributed over a distance using different simple machines. The students also weighed the candy and made predictions about how it would move based on its weight and its packaging. Principal Jasmine Brown stopped by to take part in the fun, as well.

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Bustelos teaches STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – and social studies to Giffen third graders.