Air and Space Theme In the Mups (2nd/3rd)
For the last 6 weeks, the Mups have delved deep into our latest science/engineering theme: Air and Space. Students began this theme with an exploration of the power of gravity and the effect gravity has on all matter on Earth. To support us in this endeavor, students were introduced to the steps of the scientific method as a way to ground us in our work as scientists in the weeks ahead. We conducted experiments that demonstrated the relationship between gravity, density, surface area, and air resistance. One experiment involved dropping a crumpled piece of paper and a flattened piece of paper from the same height, at the same time. Students hypothesized what would happen (many Mups hypothesized that they would fall at the same time because they were the same object). After our experiment, we concluded that the crumpled piece of paper hit the ground first because it did not have as much surface area as the flat piece of paper and therefore was not subject to the same amount of air resistance as the flat paper.
Implementing what they learned about surface area and air resistance, Mups were given the task of constructing a space shuttle (made out of recycled materials from our Iprojects collection) that would safely bring an egg (aka their “egg-stronaut”) back down to earth (the sidewalk) as their ship descended from the International Space Station (the roof of the school). Students worked collaboratively thinking about what would support their egg-stronaut in a safe landing. Once the ships were built we conducted our drop. After the drop, Mups talked about what they felt created a successful landing. Many students mentioned that building ships with parachutes worked because the effect of gravity was lessened by the added air resistance that a parachute provided their ship.
Last week we began our culminating project of the unit, where students work in pairs, to construct candle-powered airships.
However, before starting on our airships, the class spent time carrying out a series of experiments about air and heat. The first set of experiments tackled the question: “Is air really there?” We conducted several experiments using balloons, boiling water, and a bucket of ice that proved that air was not just empty space, but a substance with certain behaviors and properties. Next, using all their senses, students observed and theorized about the way air behaves around the flame of a candle. Then, we experimented with a fish tank and dyed water at different temperatures, allowing students to see how heat rises and cold sinks. The Mups were introduced to molecules and the four states of matter. The emphasis throughout all of this was the relationship between air temperature, expansion, contraction, and density.
Finally, with all of this information under their belts, students applied their understanding to designing and building airships. They were not given instructions or models to work from, just a partner and a pile of materials. The materials that students can use to build their airships are plastic straws, coffee stirrers, aluminum foil, tape, a trash bag, and a fuel cell made of birthday candles.
Once a team has built their ship they drew a labeled diagram of their airship. During each team's first launches, their first designs all either caught on fire tipped over sideways with the bag filled with air, or sat unmoving on the launch pad. The whole class observed each attempted launch closely, discussing what was happening as it happened, and the launching team made notes on their design drawing as to where the design appeared to fail. In these beginning stages, everyone had different theories as to why their airships weren’t launching and tried to address them in different ways in their second designs. For example, after their first launches, many teams are talking about building lighter aluminum foil bases in their airship iterations.
As we are still in the early stages of this project, students are still working on an airship design that will enable a successful launch. However, each day, Mups are getting closer and closer through learning from their mistakes, listening, and collaborating which will all lay the foundation for their eventual successes.