In chemistry today students learned about molecular structure. They built models of molecules and also tested the properties of different types of slime. They were able to connect the macroscopic properties they observed to the properties of the molecules.
Students focused on engineering today in physics. They learned about the amazing technologies that were engineered so that humans could go into space. Then they became the engineers when they were challenged to build a tower out of tape, string, and spaghetti that would hold a marshmallow on the top.
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AP Physics 1 and AP Chemistry students spent two full days at the Umana Academy working with 6th grade students on the topic of heat. The 6th graders learned some heat basics and then applied their skills with an engineering challenge – who could build the best container to keep heat in and who could do it while spending the least amount of money? The high schoolers had spent days preparing informative heat stations and getting ready to help their mentees with the challenge. In chemistry today students learned about phase changes – how does a gas become a liquid, how does a liquid become a solid, and can a solid go directly to being a gas without becoming a liquid first? Students investigated the solid to liquid transition and liquid to gas transition by measuring the temperature of water as it heats up. Friction was the topic of the day in physics. Students learned about how the roughness of a surface can affect how much friction it has. We rolled cars across many different surfaces and figured out which one had the most friction. The chemistry lesson today dealt with figuring out what matter really is. We discussed what atoms are and that all matter takes up volume. Students then observed different materials to investigate their properties. In physics we learned about magnets! Students explored the many properties of magnets and also got to visualize magnetic fields using special magnetic field viewers. EBHS was featured in the Brown Rudnick newsletter!
"Brown Rudnick 2015-6 Relationship Grantee East Boston High School Science Enrichment Program hosted Center Executive Director Al Wallis, Firm Partner John Wadsworth, and BR's Brendan Reaney and Elizabeth McGeoy during the ninth grade mentoring program at the Umana School on Tuesday. High School Chemistry Teacher and grant applicant Kristen L. Cacciatore, Ph.D. leads the multi-year program in what has been a successful effort to increase science literacy in East Boston at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, getting students more interested and proficient in science. During the visit, high school students tutored lower school students introducing them to the concepts and science of solids, liquids and gasses. Ms. Oluwanifemi Mabayoje's Honors Physics class led a lesson on electricity for Ms. Natalie Benson's third grade class. The lesson included a reading activity, and hands on activity using static electricity from rubbing balloons on your hair and then using the energy to create 'flying Rice Krispies.'" Today in chemistry students learned the difference between solids, liquids, and gases. We read about what the world is made of and then looked for patterns between different types of materials.
In our physics lesson, students studied gravity. We read about why gravity is important and how it changes when you go to the moon. We also learned that there is a lot scientists still don’t understand about gravity. However, we were able to determine that gravity acts on all objects on Earth and even if something has a smaller mass it is going to fall to the Earth at the same rate as something heavier. Today was our first mentoring trip to the Umana Academy. In the fall we will be running chemistry and physics lessons with with third graders. All of our lessons involve reading a non-fiction science book and then doing a fun science activity.
In the chemistry we learned how to observe matter and that matter can have many different properties. Students explored the different properties of common sports equipment. In physics we investigated forces. We blew through straws to see if we needed more or less force to move more massive objects. |
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