Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
8:00am - 12:30pm
Our Tuesday morning was spent with Jaclyn Allen, a NASA geologist who is very experienced and knowledgeable about earth and space rocks, including how asteroids, planets, and rocks are formed.
The first thing Ms. Allen did was give us a huge packet full of hands-on science activities to do in the classroom. Altogether, there were about 80 activities to complete in this packet. Unfortunately, I can't share all of the activities on here, but I will share a description of all of the activities we complete in class, as well as the links of some others I found in the packet that sounded interesting.
I'll start with some generic information we learned that I found interesting and might clear up some misconceptions about space. This was a very intense development led by a geologist, not a teacher, so it contained a lot of information packed together with large scientific words. At times, it was almost like she was speaking a foreign language. This was actually a good experience to have because it put me (and other participants, I'm sure) in the seat of a student who might not be understanding a material the first time the hear it, or even an English Language Learner.
Let's talk about Pluto... many students are very curious as to how we can just change the classification of a planet, or as they might think, "Take a planet away". Unfortunately, many teachers don't know the specific reasoning for this. It is important for students to understand that science is always changing, and as we learn and discover more things will be reclassified. In reference to Pluto, it was not just abandoned by NASA and ignored. In fact, there is a mission planned to Pluto for the year of 2015. Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet because millions of other rocky bodies were discovered around Pluto in the hyperbelts that are similar in size (and possibly bigger) to Pluto. I took this as meaning they found a home that fit Pluto better. As Ms. Allen described it, "Instead of Pluto being downgraded in our solar system, it actually got a promotion. Instead of being the smallest planet in the solar system, it is now one of the biggest bodies in the hyperbelt.
To read more about the reclassification of Pluto, click here.
Now on to the activities!
There were four topics we focused on during this development and through the activities.
- Accretion - the process of gas and dust coming together to form chondrules, asteroids, dwarf planets, and planets
- Differenciation - happens after accretion; the process of the different materials of the planetary body settling and forming layers, with the most dense on the inside and the least dense on the outside.
- Impact - the process of objects, such as meteors or asteroids, hitting larger bodies and forming craters in the surface.
- Volcanism - Events surrounding and involving volcanoes
Accretion
Our first activity got us up and moving throughout the hallways of NASA as we physically modeled accretion. To do this, we started by walking around in a circle in the hallway. By wandering and mixing individually, we were representing dust and gas.
As we bumped into each other, we connected arms. After a few minutes. the movement was stopped, and the small groups (2-3 people) that had connected by bumping were reclassified as a chondrule and the larger groups were reclassified as an asteroid. This represents how dust and gas mix together to form larger objects.
We continued moving around and bumping, therefore forming larger and larger objects. The area also got much warmer. If there were many more people and they were all connected, it would eventually form a dwarf planet or a planet.
As we bumped into each other, we connected arms. After a few minutes. the movement was stopped, and the small groups (2-3 people) that had connected by bumping were reclassified as a chondrule and the larger groups were reclassified as an asteroid. This represents how dust and gas mix together to form larger objects.
We continued moving around and bumping, therefore forming larger and larger objects. The area also got much warmer. If there were many more people and they were all connected, it would eventually form a dwarf planet or a planet.
Because we were all moving around together in such as small space, it was getting very hot with our energy and body heat. This is actually what happens when dust and gas mix together, as well as the chondrules and asteroids, and eventually differentiation happens. Differentiation happens when the larger bodies get heated up to extremely high temperatures and begin to melt. When this happens, the different materials on them form layers according to their density. Of course, we didn't stay out there long enough to melt, but we were able to complete an activity on differentiation later on.
Differentiation
Activity - Changes Inside Planets (Differentiation and Breakup):
For our differentiation activity, we explored how different materials settle in different patterns depending on their density to form the layers of the Earth (and other solid structures).
To do this, each group received a small cup with raisins, marshmallows, and peanuts inside.
We were asked to predict what would happen to each of these objects if we were to pour hot (unsettled in liquid form) jello on top of the objects.
Our group collaborated and decided that:
The marshmallows would float "because they float in hot chocolate"
The peanuts would sink "because they're the most dense we think"
and the raisins would float in the middle "because why else would we be doing this in jello instead of water... so the jello sets and the raisins are still just floating there!"
After pouring the liquid jello on top of the materials, we found that the actual results varied from our prediction:
The marshmallows DID float, because they were the least dense materials.
The raisins sunk because they are dehydrated, which means they are without water. Things with water float, things without water sink.
The peanuts were kind of all over the place. Some were at the bottom but only barely, while others were floating at the top. The coordinator reminded us that peanuts have oil on them, and what does oil do? Floats!
It was very interesting to see how the different materials acted because of their density (and of course other factors). Each of the foods represented different layers of the Earth. During differentiation, the most dense materials (e.g. iron) 'sink' down and form the core. The next most dense material is next, and the core of the Earth is the least dense (next time you stub your toe on a rock, remember that you are stubbing your toe on the marshmallow of the Earth's surface). In this experiment, the raisins represented the core, the peanuts represented the mantle, and the marshmallows represented the outer core.
Ms. Allen let us know that this experiment CAN be done with hot water, but it is traditionally done with jello so that the students can eat it when they have finished (many schools are banning food in the classroom... not that they would want to eat peanut/raisin/marshmallow-filled jello).
For our differentiation activity, we explored how different materials settle in different patterns depending on their density to form the layers of the Earth (and other solid structures).
To do this, each group received a small cup with raisins, marshmallows, and peanuts inside.
We were asked to predict what would happen to each of these objects if we were to pour hot (unsettled in liquid form) jello on top of the objects.
Our group collaborated and decided that:
The marshmallows would float "because they float in hot chocolate"
The peanuts would sink "because they're the most dense we think"
and the raisins would float in the middle "because why else would we be doing this in jello instead of water... so the jello sets and the raisins are still just floating there!"
After pouring the liquid jello on top of the materials, we found that the actual results varied from our prediction:
The marshmallows DID float, because they were the least dense materials.
The raisins sunk because they are dehydrated, which means they are without water. Things with water float, things without water sink.
The peanuts were kind of all over the place. Some were at the bottom but only barely, while others were floating at the top. The coordinator reminded us that peanuts have oil on them, and what does oil do? Floats!
It was very interesting to see how the different materials acted because of their density (and of course other factors). Each of the foods represented different layers of the Earth. During differentiation, the most dense materials (e.g. iron) 'sink' down and form the core. The next most dense material is next, and the core of the Earth is the least dense (next time you stub your toe on a rock, remember that you are stubbing your toe on the marshmallow of the Earth's surface). In this experiment, the raisins represented the core, the peanuts represented the mantle, and the marshmallows represented the outer core.
Ms. Allen let us know that this experiment CAN be done with hot water, but it is traditionally done with jello so that the students can eat it when they have finished (many schools are banning food in the classroom... not that they would want to eat peanut/raisin/marshmallow-filled jello).
Impact
Activity: Holes in the Ground
For our impact activity, we formed groups of ten and each group circled around a plastic tub in the front of the classroom.
The first thing we did was make observations to each other about what we saw.
We were then each given marbles of different weights and sizes.
and this is the descriptions that went with it:
For our impact activity, we formed groups of ten and each group circled around a plastic tub in the front of the classroom.
The first thing we did was make observations to each other about what we saw.
We noted that we saw brown dust with some white powder.
As 'students' we were told that we had just landed on a new planet and we are searching for a green material that would be useful. We must excavate this planet using impact.
We were then each given marbles of different weights and sizes.
Three of us dropped our marbles into the dust. We could drop them, throw them, and use as much or as little force as we wanted. We were amazed by the results.
The marbles caused 'craters' in the surface, and each crater was different. Some marbles (asteroids) went straight through and caused little disturbance besides a deep hole:
and some caused a huge disturbance, exposed the inner layer, and formed mountains and peaks in the surface.
The rest of the group dropped their marbles in next.
Here is a video of a marble being dropped into the tub (representing an asteroid or meteor hitting a surface and forming an impact):
As you can see from the picture below, we noticed our green resource showing up on the right side of the tub. We used that information to choose where we made the remaining craters in order to expose the rest of the material.
Of course, the material used for this experiment wasn't really asteroids and space dust. The white inner layer was made of baking soda (could be substituted for flour), and the top layer is hot chocolate mix. The marbles, of course, represented asteroids or meteors impacting the surface.
Volcanism
Our volcano activity consisted of acting as geologists to create a volcanic eruption, map the flow of the lava, and determine the previous flow of lava.
To do this, we worked with 'volcanoes' made out of a bottle cap for the hole, and play-doh for the mountain.
We then used a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the lid to create a 'volcanic eruption'. Once the chemical process was complete. We drew an outline of where the 'lava' had flowed.
Next, we used a different color of play-doh to cover everywhere the lava had touched. This would map the lava flow.
We completed this process two more times to make our new volcano:
For our particular model, the black represented the path of the lava on our first eruption, and the yellow/orange represented the path of the lava on our second eruption. As you can see, some of the play-doh is overlapping and the lava is less likely to go where it has been before and the land is already built up.
Once we completed our volcano, we named it (Wally) and traded with another group.
We then became excavators, and we had to use geological techniques to try and discover the orders of the levels of lava on their volcano.
To discover which lava path was oldest and which was newest, we first cut out a piece that we believed would represent all of the levels of lava:
Unfortunately, we were still unsure as to whether the brown or the blue represented an earlier lava flow (which color play-doh should be on top of which). We had to use another method, and this time we chose to 'drill' (with straws) to get a sample:
This sample from a different area did show the different colors in the correct order, and we were able to learn that the dark orange was the oldest flow, followed by the brown, blue pink, and light orange.
This activity is intended for middle schoolers, but again it can be adapted based on the level of students you have.
The lesson is designed to be broken into three days:
On the first day, the students build their model.
On the second day, they do their volcanic eruption and add their layers.
On the third day, they explore another volcano in the classroom and try to determine their order of lava flow.
*Note: I learned today that volcanoes are ONLY on solid planets. In case you were wondering. (Ps. Some planets are made of gas.)
Other:
We did complete many more activities other than the ones that supplemented our four new vocabulary terms for the day.
Sediment Observation:
Our first activity of the day was waiting for us when we sat at our tables in the morning. We had two containers with different kinds of dust, and we were told to simply observe. We used a magnifying glass and magnets to play around and make comments about the dust. Although we never completed our follow-up activity at the end of the development because of time constraints, it was a great way to get us up and moving early in the morning by looking really closely at dust. It's a lot cooler than it sounds:
See how the material that looks like dust is made up of tiny rocks with jagged edges?
We actually received a sample of Earth dust and Lunar dust to use in our classroom!
Activity: Solar System Distance (Bead Solar System) -
Also waiting for us on our desks in the morning was a nice little baggie to make our own bead solar system in our classroom:
This bag contained all of the materials needed to make our own model of the solar system in order to show the distance between the planets.
All you ned to make your own of these is a piece of string, 11 beads, and the distances between planets (listed above... 1 AU = 1 atomospheric unit, which is the distance between the Earth and the Sun. For this project, 1 AU = 1cm.)
Put the beads on the string to represent the planets and the students will gain perspective of the distance between objects in the solar system.
Note: This project is NOT to size scale as the planets are all one size: bead sized.
Activity: Space Rocks and Space Rock Certification
One really awesome thing that we left today with was a certification to handle space rocks! That means that as a certified teacher, I can send a request to borrow their educational space rocks at any time I wanted, free of charge.
Ms. Allen handed around the space rocks for us to look at, here is a sample:
This was my favorite activity of the day, mostly because we got candy out of it.
During a 'brain break', we each received a snack size candy bar of our choosing. We then had to take a bite out of it, observe the inside, and decide which of the descriptions hanging on the wall matched up with our candy bar.
It represents how geologists look at the inside of rocks to tell information about them.
I chose a Twix:
The final activity we completed today that I am going to share with you is called Mission Moon. To summarize, the class worked in groups to walk around the classroom and explore different possibilities of areas to land and make 'camp' on the moon (which is a possibility for the future). The object of the activity was to read the descriptions of the area's water source, radiation, temperature, terrain, etc and determine which of the five sites would be best suited for landing.
Links to Other Activities and Resources
As promised, here are links and descriptions to a few other activities that we did not complete today, but were mentioned or seemed interesting from our packet:
- Lunar Surface (Cookie Moon) - Students make a model of the moon using edible materials on the surface of a cookie
- Touchdown - Students use the engineering process to make a simple lander that protects their marshmallow astronauts.
- Modeling Sizes of Planets: Part 1 Modeling the SS with Foods - Students are able to make a scale model of the solar system using fruits and vegetables to explore the size difference between the planets.
- Gelatin Volcanoes - Students develop an awareness of how magma moves inside volcanoes, what dikes look like underground, and why Hawaiian volcanoes have rift zones by watching red food coloring injected into gelatin.
- Alka-Seltzer Rockets - Using baking soda and vinegar, students propel and object across the floor, introducing the idea of how things move through space- Newton's Third Law of Motion
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