7th Graders fighting fires

I started the morning with a fieldtrip of 7th graders from Santa Maria. This was my first time hosting a class in the exploration lab, my co-instructors Kevin and Nathan were amazing at getting me up to speed. After some confusion on my part about timing and the durations of the field trips, I feel that their trip and engineering exploration was a success. Both groups seemed comfortable if cramped with the task we set them, to design a container that allows a sensor (a penny) to float in a wind column.
The first group was engaged and excited to build and test their prototypes. I stayed in inside the room while they tested their ideas and witnessed the students running in and out testing and retesting there prototypes again and again. By the end of the session the class had three prototypes that meet the 15 second requirement they set for themselves.
The second group was engaged, but hesitant to share their observations of the picture and build their prototypes. They took longer to transition from planning to building and testing. They may have been a more more careful or thoughtful group and I noticed that one of the teachers accompanying them was pushing them to brainstorm. Perhaps the second class is encouraged on a regular basis to think through their ideas before acting.
Having two classes from that same school helped me better hone my skills of changing the teaching approaches to better suit the class. As a team my co-instructors and I worked to get increased engagement from the second group and I think they got as much from the experience as the first group.