Experimenting with the Laws of Motion  This week in class we investigated the physics of motion by recreating a simplified version of a very famous invention - Hero of Alexandria's aeolipile, or "steam ball". As students have read in our text, Hero was a designer of many ingenious and whimsical inventions. The aeolipile is perhaps his most notable work because it is considered to be the first recorded steam engine or reaction steam turbine - developed many thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution. The sphere had bent nozzles projecting from its sides, angled up and down (for opposing forces). When heated from below, steam would shoot out through the nozzles resulting in thrust that would then cause the sphere to spin. Before beginning our experimentation, we took some time to review Newton's 3 Laws of Motion. Of course, Newton would not develop his Universal Law of Gravitation or these Laws of Motion until the 17th century. However, Hero's work clearly demonstrated these laws many hundreds of years earlier. Pop Can Hero!  Students simulated the operation of a classic aeolipile by constructing water-propelled engines out of soft drink cans. Specifically, they investigated ways to increase the action-reaction thrust produced by water shooting out of holes punched in the sides of the can. After an initial demonstration of how to generate spin by punching angled holes in the can with nails (Newtons 3rd Law of motion), the class spent some time speculating on what variables might increase the number of pop can rotations. The class came up with three variables to test: 1) number of holes, 2) size of holes and 3) placement of holes. They then split into three teams, with each team assigned one variable to test. Teams developed their hypothesis and their testing procedures using the experiment worksheet, and then began building their engines (each team built three engines to test various designs). We discussed the importance of creating a baseline and then changing only one variable at a time. Interestingly, all three teams formulated correct hypotheses: 1) that fewer holes would result in more rotations because the water pressure would remain higher for longer, allowing the water to drain out more slowly, 2) that smaller sized holes would also result in a greater pressure and therefore a greater number of rotations, and 3) that placement of holes at the base of the can (versus higher up) would result in a greater number of rotations. Although the team results did point toward verified hypotheses, the results of all teams were not conclusive. One additional factor that students discovered was the importance of keeping the length of the string (we used fishing line) constant for each engine tested. A twisting force added by a longer or shorter string can modify the number of can rotations. Also, several teams were able to get very high accelerations of spin, which made it difficult to accurately count the number of rotations. While students found it somewhat unsatisfying to have inconclusive results, this opened up the opportunity to discuss possible modifications to our experimental design, and the need for further testing - all important aspects of real world scientific investigation! Catapults and Homework  Continuing our study of the physics of machines, students were given supplies and instructions for building and testing a simple catapult at home. I have encouraged them to include siblings and family members in this project - it's fun and really lends itself to multi-age learning. Please make sure to complete the catapult homework sheet and bring it back to class next week with your catapult.
Students should also read Chapter 17 on Archimedes in preparation for next weeks class discussion and projects.  Reader's Theatre class started this week with a dialogue on the characters of William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." A handout was given to the students on all the characters that are in the reader's theatre version we are studying. This character analysis not only offered them a chance to better understand the actions of the play, but is also preparing them to dive deeper into a character of their choice for the next two weeks' homework assignment. To Be or Not to Be...(that is, in fact, the question)
Science History Jeopardy!  Our class engaged in a Jeopardy trivia game this week, covering material from Chapters 1-13 in the text. We are at the midway point in our semester and the format provided a fun, competitive 'refresher' of information we've discussed and read about over the past eight weeks. Students were randomly assigned to three teams of three, and then teams took turns answering challenging questions. If a team failed to provide a correct answer, the following team had the option of stealing that question. We finished with our teams fairly evenly matched for points (11, 12, and 7), and with the possibility for any team to win - if they wagered enough points and answered the Final Jeopardy Question correctly. I have provided the entire list of questions and answers (HERE) for students who were absent and for those who would like to review. Not all questions were asked, so have a look and see if you can answer all of them!  The final Jeopardy question required teams to provide a clear and accurate explanation of why Earth has seasons. Teams were also encouraged to draw a diagram to illustrate their explanation. Two of the three teams provided the correct answer - it is the tilt of Earth's axis at a 23.5 degree angle, that causes the seasons of our year. Congratulations to TEAM 2, with a wager of 11 points and the correct answer, making them the Jeopardy Champs with a total of 23 points! Ah Yes...Homework. And, what with the excitement of tallying the final scores, it seems I neglected to mention the homework for this week! Students should read Chapters 15 and 16 and complete the Student Quest Guide pages 55-56.
Next week we will talk about the intellectual city of Alexandria and the numerous inventions of Hero. Additionally, students should view the NOVA special airing this week called 'Ancient Computer'. It looks at some amazing ancient Greek technology and fits nicely with our class content. Trip to Europe We concluded our study of Europe today with a Norse myth about Thor's hammer, The Dragon of Krakow (a Polish folktale), and a Swedish story about trolls. While we listened to the stories, we worked on salt dough maps of Europe. Can you tell which European countries your child made? I hope that the stories and the artwork will leave a strong impression on the children so that they will remember them in years to come as they learn more about geography and history. Ask your child if they can tell you one of the stories. We talked today about preparing our class presentations, and many of them are excited to tell the class a folktale. If they enjoyed this week's stories, then perhaps they will tell us another story from this part of the world! Atlas WorkAlso in class, the students practiced using atlases to do research. Each student had to find the answer to several questions. After discovering the answers, we shared them with the class. Do they remember their questions? Perhaps they can teach you something new about Europe. Do you know where Lapland is? What country is on the Jutland Peninsula? In what country will you find Transylvania?
Next week we move to Asia, learning about the geography and stories of China.
The homework assignment this week is to read through the script three times: 1. The first read through should be done silently as students highlight their part(s) and read the "acting notes" to better understand what they are saying. They should also reference their "Shakespeare terms" handout with definitions to some of the text that is not common, for instance, "anon" means "right now" OR "I come right away." 2. The second read through should be read aloud so they can play with the text rolling off their tongue and work on diction and inflections. Be creative and really try to get your meaning across. 3. The third time's a charm! This, too, should be read aloud (perhaps to a family member or maybe even your pet!) this time with more character in your voice and with lots of expression vocally and physically. Have fun with it! Next week we will look into our characters more and get to know them a little better. Have a great week! Greetings From Texas! Aidan and Piper Half of the Harris Family arrived safely outside of Houston, Texas, on Easter Sunday; the other half is crossing the Louisiana swamps as we speak, stopping at various Visitors Centers in the area and trying to understand what the people are saying. They are also having some interesting culinary experiences (see: boudin).
We thought of everyone yesterday and are busily trying to adjust to our new way of life. At left, Aidan enjoys one of our extended family's three horses (named Piper, Renegade, and Trinity). We look forward to seeing and visiting you each week via Mosaic Minutes and hold all of you in our hearts and thoughts. Until next week! Greek Mythology Competition! Mount Olympus On March 11, we began our study of Europe with the foundations of western civilization in Ancient Greece, mapping the peninsula and islands, the bodies of water, important cities, and that most important mountain, Mount Olympus. Next, we learned about the mythological residents of Mount Olympus -- the Greek gods and goddesses. We read the first few stories in D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths in class. It is the best collection of Greek myths for children that I know. In preparation for a Greek Mythology competition, we formed teams and students met to plan their strategies with each child taking on the responsibility of studying certain stories or characters from the myths. On March 18, we held our competition and the kids had an opportunity to show just how much they had learned about Greek myths. Nicely done! The students also had a creative writing assignment describing an imaginary encounter with a Greek god or goddess! Camelot and King Arthur Camelot This week our travels through time and place brought us to England, to Camelot with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
After an overview of the myth of King Arthur, we learned about feudalism, putting the stories in that political and economic context. Before we dove in, we considered the historical and fantastic elements of the stories, reading Sir Gawain the True, from the wonderful series by Gerald Morris, "The Knights' Tales." We read much of this lighthearted retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, leaving Sir Gawain on his way to fulfill his vow to let the giant green knight take a swing at his neck with an ax. Students may want to get this book so that they can find out how it ends! If you enjoy it, there are several more in this series which makes the King Arthur myths appropriate and accessible for younger readers. After enjoying the story, we worked on maps of the United Kingdom, finding important cities and bodies of water. For homework, each student chose a story map to complete. These will help them to consider the important elements of a story: plot, character, and setting. I hope this will help them to prepare for their class presentations later in the semester, which may be a folktale, original story, or geographical report. Next week, we will travel to Northern and Eastern Europe, enjoying Norse Myths and Polish Folktales. I hope you have a great week! Thinking, Knowledge & Science  This week we followed in the footsteps of the ancient Greek philosophers as we pondered these important and timeless questions:
Students then reviewed their Quest workbook pages 32-33 on the definitions of hypothesis, theory, and fact, as these relate to the work and ideas of several of the ancient scientists we have learned about through our reading. Students should remember that the ideas of these ancient scientists (the Ionians and Democritus) were revolutionary, yet unproved hypotheses chiefly because the ancient Greeks lacked the modern technology and means to prove or disprove their ideas. It would be many hundreds of years before science could develop these theories further. And so, at this point in history, philosophers turned instead to the study of reason. Plato and Aristotle
Aristotle, Plato's student, argued that knowledge and universal principles come from experience. As a great observer and synthesizer of information, Aristotle attempted to create one theory to classify all knowledge. His work ranged over the fields of biology, chemistry, astronomy, light, vision, and the study of logic. And although his geocentric (earth-centered) cosmology was flawed, his ideas and massive body of work set the backdrop for all future developments in modern science. For a brief overview of the contributions of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, view this. (okay, so it's mostly the Jack Johnson background music that really makes it worthwhile!). And...An Impromptu Debate We concluded class with a mini debate which required students to apply the types of thinking and reasoning skills we had been discussing. The class split into two teams (boys vs. girls) and took up positions on the intriguing question: Will technology ultimately save or destroy the earth? With only about fifteen minutes to prepare, students did a good job of working together and crafting some solid points for argument. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to fully develop the topic and support and defend positions, but it was a worthwhile thinking exercise and introduction to debate. We will hope to continue the dialogue and debate format in future classes.
Homework... For next week, students should read Chapters 13 and 14 in the text and review all material from Chapters 1-13 in preparation for a rousing game of Jeopardy! (prizes to be awarded to those that study hard!)
Have a great weekend! Analyzing the Evidence  This week began the testing phase of our investigation. The students worked in teams analyzing evidence found at the scene. After reviewing the clues we have so far the students rotated through five stations where they conducted tests to give us a clearer picture of what could have happened to our victim, Felix.
Fingerprints on cups found at the scene were compared to the fingerprints of our suspects. The gas from a few drops of Krazy Glue, which was added to the evidence bag containing the cups, made the fingerprints turn white so they could be more easily seen. One scent from each of our 5 people of interest were compared to a shredded towel found at the scene, which had a lingering scent. Students had to see which scent most closely resembled the one on the towel.
The cola found in the two cups at the scene were compared to regular cola using pH strips. Did the two cups of cola closely resemble the pH of the regular cola or was something added to one of them? Cotton and wool threads were compared to the threads found at the scene by watching how each type burned. Did it burn slowly or quickly? What did the ashes look like? Finally, a mysterious brown stain was compared to a brown felt marker found in one of the suspect’s pockets and the coating of a brown kind of candy one of our suspects enjoys eating. Which one did it turn out to be?
Next week we will share our findings, performing tests together to settle any disagreements over results. The crime is slowly beginning to take shape, but much confusion still exists as we try to narrow down which clues lead us to the murderer and which ones take us in the wrong direction. We kicked off our last mythology class by reading aloud the bio-poems that the students had written for last week's homework. All students presented poems and generally followed the bio-poem prompts. All were well-written and a few were extraordinary. Nice work, team! We then spent considerable time analyzing and discussing the themes within The Odyssey, particularly revolving around the so-called "Search for Odysseus." We touched on ideas and concepts such as self-doubt, negativity, identity, and traditional vs. modern parent-child roles and relationships. Good stuff, no? The students never fail to impress us with their maturity and insight on these topics and Susan and I have very much enjoyed this time spent in "free discussion." Following on our poetry theme from last week, we tied three modern poetry pieces to The Odyssey: "Penelope" by Dorothy Parker, "Ithaka" by Constantine Cavafy, and "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. I attempted to read some rather poignant material to the students along with the poem, "Ithaka," but failed miserably in that attempt, and was thankfully rescued by Mrs. Martz. I copy the poem here, along with some of the background text, as it expresses to all of you what's in my heart as I leave my New Jersey home behind.
Excerpt from "Ithaka" by Constantine P. CavafyAs you set out for Ithaka We closed our wonderful class with a final reading of "Searching for Odysseus." The students continue to make progress in many areas including, expression, diction and movement. Next week, Hamlet!
 For homework, students will go on a Shakespeare Web Quest to find out some basic background information on The Bard before diving into Hamlet. Handouts with instructions were given to visit three different web-sites. Go to each site when instructed and read the information given in that site. Then, answer the questions asked. You many need to go beyond the first page of a site to find the information.
Next week, I will be passing on Susan's reflections from class and posting the homework assignment (I'm sure the students are glad I will still be available for that task :>). And the Plot Thickens...  We started off this session by analyzing our missing evidence from last week and going over our crime scene map. Details were added and theories began to take shape. Students were shown the suspect’s photos along with information the detectives provided us with. Each suspect had a statement along with pieces of information that might be crucial to figuring out this mystery. Unfortunately, Felix’s body was lost (or stolen?) on the way to the morgue, so we don’t know if he is even dead!
Using the evidence from the crime scene we made a clue board by posting each piece of evidence under the name of the suspect it could possibly go with. Students are now being encouraged to make some inferences as a story is beginning to take shape. Next week we will organize the clues under each suspect and begin analyzing the evidence by having testing stations. This session we spent a lot of time coming to a consensus, within teams and with the whole class. They did a great job debating ideas and organizing details so we can logically process the evidence. I reminded them that there is no right answer to this mystery. Just like real life, a case doesn’t always have a definitive answer. It’s up to us to use what we know to piece together what could have occurred. Next week we will have more evidence to process as the test results give us more clues. |
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