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Discussion: First Project Astro class
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First Project Astro class
Nov 27 2008, 2:15 PM EST
Garrison Middle School Project Astro. Program from 8 am to 4 pm (4 classes). (8 Total) 97 kids and teachers. This is the first of 4 Project Astro visits. We decided to start off with building a comet and talking about some of the possible ways life came to earth (they were studying micro biological life). During this part of the program we would run outside to look at the sun through the breaks in the clouds, then run back in to work on the comet. The first class we tried to have each of the kids make the comet (diffidently not a success). They were throwing pieces of dry ice at each other every time we turned our backs. So we gathered up the comet makings and proceeded to make a pocket solar system model. I asked them about models and what some of the problems might be and if they thought we could make an accurate scale model of the distance of the orbits of the planets. I also asked how many planets there were. They ranged from 5 to 12 with most of them picking 10 (only 2 out of 23 picked 9, none picked 8, 7 and 10 were tied with the rest). The second class was more rowdy (and that is an understatement). We decided to make the comet this time, asking questions and talking about some of the answers. This group actually settled down and started questioning some of the comments I made. The third group never got finished with the comet. A couple of the kids kept making comments (this is Geek Nerd stuff) until the teacher sent them to the office. By then the rest were only interested in “puttin” down each other. The last group had a good time with the comet until it blew up. I had set it on the table after making it and I guess the pressure built up and popped, which caused it to roll off one table onto another and it shattered. It surprised them more than anything. Then we went down and took a look through the scope (Still no spots). With this group I had time to ask questions and give away stuff.
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jescott |
1. RE: First Project Astro class
Dec 5 2008, 2:03 PM EST
Wow-- sounds like you squeezed a lot of activity into one school visit! Did you actually make a solar system scale model too, or will you do that on another visit? Thanks for your comments, and especially the warning about potentially explosive comets...
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