Students have been applying their background information of tectonic plates and geological concepts to find the most dangerous and safest places to live on Planet Earth. ARCGIS, a geographic information system, is being used to research the globe and look for the effect of plate boundaries on natural disasters and landforms.
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The students of grade 7 were getting prepared for university - searching for the best pizza deal. This was a search, that was mathematically based, using the area of a circle to determine the best price per square inch.
Mr. Rafih, our student teacher from Mount Royal University, has engaged the students in an exploration of the geological principles that form the rocks of our planet. Diagrammatic sketching has been revisited as the students find criteria that they can use to classify and separate the rock samples they are observing.
Today was the first day of our two day symposium. Students presented their scientific research regarding their individually created inquiries. The discussion was rich with scientific principles and terminology. Students gathered data and created scientific tests that were controlled and attended to sample size. The audience was attentive and presenters hypothesized, gave proof and reflected on next steps, with regards to their research topics.
Students' testing is underway, and some interesting data has been recorded. Some interesting questions are being answered. What material will keep an egg warmer, longer? What material would help a coffee mug keep coffee warmer? Will a Sous Vide or a grill keep chicken moister? These are a few questions students have been exploring. All data will be graphed and qualitative data was recorded if food quality or texture was being studied. The Mpemba Effect, was a motivation for one of our studies and with this -29 degrees celsius weather, it was cool to demonstrate.
The students in grade 7 have designed studies to carry out that will answer some burning questions, in our study of Heat and Temperature. Science in the kitchen is a hot topic these days in the media. Methodology is being questioned and students of the culinary arts are asking "Why?", more often. Students at Connect will be collecting data to answer their own questions, designing their own studies involving the scientific principles and technologies of this unit. Here are a few studies that are being planned.
Which Pan is Better at Evenly Distributing Heat when Baking? Is there is a Faster Way to Freeze Ice than the Classic Hard Plastic? Does Tinfoil work as well as we Think it Does, or is it a Fraud? Quantifiable data will gathered and graphed, and teams will present their findings in a presentation. In mathematics, students are applying their knowledge of diameter and circumference to create artistic creations, gathering inspiration for artists, such as, Kandinsky. Proportional reasoning will be explored in this study. Thawing food faster was the impetus for our exploration into heat transfer. Using qualitative and quantitative data, students explored how different metals could be used to speed up the thawing process in the kitchen. Students decided an aluminum baking pan is a great way to thaw food faster than a counter top. Students were exploring various reasons for why certain metals were better conductors of heat than others and using the scientific method to gather proof as to which metals were better conductors of energy.
Before our winter break, students were exploring the scientific principles of heat and temperature, and studying the various forms of heat transfer and how the particle model of matter can be used to explain our observations. We have been observing how the scientific principles we've studied apply to food preparation. Mr. B. has a new cooking toy, a Sous Vide. In mathematics, our exploration of circle geometry has taken us to look at the relationship between the circumference and diameter of various circles in our school. Students took their work and inputed it into a Google doc to compare measurements and make conjectures. Small circle and large circle attributes were compared.
Grade 7 is getting ready for student led conferences. Here is a cantilever bridge that allows us to feel the tension and compression. It works!
Students are translating their plans into bridge prototype designs and trying to stay on budget. This week a dynamic load will be added to their bridges until failure.
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Mr. BennettThank you for visiting the Math + Science blog. Visit regularly to see what interesting work we are doing. Archives
April 2019
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