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!

4-13-15

On the Verge of Time

 We continued to try and build our time keeping structures.  Many of our groups came very close to having their structure keep time and a few had theirs keep time for a short period of time.  The following pictures are many of the final products.

We will not be meeting on 4/20/15!  We will see you again on 4/27/15!

3-30-15

On the Verge of Time

 Today we had the students research various"clocks" used throughout history.  We discussed how each worked and what they were used for.  We then showed them some video of a more modern working timepiece.  The students then had to try and develop a working timepiece with the set of Knex that they were given to work with.  The students started the development of their timepiece but still had lots of work to do when time was up.  Therefore, they will be continuing their work this week.  This week will involve more trial and error and will require them to apply their engineering skills!

 Here are several pictures of the work that has been done so far.

3-16-15 & 3-23-15

Rags to Paper

 

 Today we made paper from cotton pulp!  We took the paper through a process of getting wet and using a screen and frame to help press the fibers together.  We made two types of paper, one with just water and one with water and cornstarch.
We then let them dry for a week.  Below are several pictures from the paper making process.

A week later after it all dried we made observations and analyzed it under a microscope.  Several pictures show the students using the microscopes and analyzing their paper.

3-2-15 & 3-4-15

Butter and Cheese

Today we made butter.  It seemed to be a huge success.  The kids were given the opportunity to taste the butter they made!  I believe almost all of the students tried their butter and it seemed as though they enjoyed it.  We had to tell them to be sure and not eat it all so they had some to test later =)  The following pictures show some of the process and products made at various points in the experiment.  

 We then meet again on Wednesday and attempted to make cheese.  I say attempted because, unfortunately, our experiment did not turn out.  However, we feel that this was still a valuable learning experience for the students.  We discussed what we could learn from this with them and what we felt went wrong in the experiment.   We also discussed why details are very important to follow in an experiment.  Although, they were disappointed with the outcome the students had a good time during the process.

2-23-15

Marco Polo

 Today we played a game that helped the students to become more familiar with what Marco Polo experienced as he traveled the Silk Road.  The students practiced their math skills at each town they stopped at along the way.  They had the opportunity to buy things at each stop and had to do the currency exchanges.  The game had a similar format as Monopoly.  The students also had to pay for their travels and make choices on how to travel.  There were chance cards that often affected their choices and their budgets.