5/11/15

Epidemics and Pandemics!!

 This week the kids continued to learn about diseases and how they spread.  We did a simulation using skittles to show how a disease progresses through a population.  The population(skittles) would go through the stages of healthy, symptomatic, diseased and immune or dead.  As the pictures show the the populations were mainly diseased and/or dead by the end of the simulation!  This simulation allowed the students to really see how easily things can spread.

 The next simulation we participated in was online.  It was the online game entitled Pandemic II.  The students were able to develop a pathogen and then gain points that would allow them to give their pathogen the traits they thought it needed to kill off Earth's inhabitants.  The students really got into this game and trying to figure out which of the pathogen characteristics were best to obtain!

Next week is our final meeting!  We will be having pizza and doing a team building activity and playing a game.  We have asked the students to sign up by Monday morning at 8 am and to bring $3 for the pizza and pop.  

Mrs. Blust and I have really enjoyed IMSA Fusion this year and all of its participants.  To the 8th Graders...  you will be missed but we wish you the best of luck at the high school!  To the 6th and 7th graders we will be training on the new units this summer and we are looking forward to welcoming you all back next year!!  Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

4/27/15 & 5/4/15

Transmutations and Alchemy

During the last two sessions of IMSA the students have copper plated a steel screw and they have also broke down copper to use as a pigment.  The students were able to explore Alchemy and what people thought were transmutations during Medieval times.   This was done by breaking down copper filaments and allowing the process to then plate a steel screw.  Then the students sent copper through a process to make copper acetate crystals.  The crystals were then used at the next meeting to make a pigment with which the students used to write with.  The students also made a charcoal pigment and used it to write with.  Then comparisons were made between the two pigments.  The students had to use much trial and error in order to come up with the right balance of ingredients to make a usable pigment.

*** We will be meeting on Monday, May 11th and May 18th.  The 18th will be our last meeting.   We hope you all have enjoyed IMSA as much as we have!  We look forward to our 6th and 7th graders returning in the fall and wish the 8th graders the best of luck at the high school!