Basics of Chemistry in the Uppers (8th Grade)
This fall the 8th grade has been studying the basics of chemistry. We learn about molecules, phase change, atoms and more. our most recent focus is on how different substances can have different densities because of the arrangement of their atoms, and the composition of the atoms themselves. By weighing identically shaped cubes of different substances on a balance, we find out that their densities must be different using the equation Density= Mass/Volume. In other words, density means how much stuff is packed into so much space. The question of what's in an atom prompted an impromptu explanation from Andy, replete with a drawing of neutrons, protons, and electrons.This drawing, with its meager but true explanation of the typical swirling rings drawing of an atom, sparked a curiosity inside the students. What else were they aware of but wanting to get the real scoop on?
The next day, as we got ready to continue our experiments on density, the class started coming up with far fetched questions that stretched all of our imaginations and the limits of our collective knowledge. Some memorable ones include:
Why does a spaceship start to float when it gets far enough away from Earth?
What was the Big Bang?
If you could teleport faster than the speed of light and looked back at Earth would you see the past?
Where does plastic come from?
In a truly emergent moment, we indulged ourselves in curiosity for a whole class period and at the end of it, students were beaming, asking to do it again. Andy and Emily plan to harness this urge to learn about various phenomena into a final research project wherein students will try to communicate a new and complex topic in a way of their own choosing. We shoot for the stars.
