Hear It From A Scientist Archives - High Touch High Tech

Introducing Biodiversity Britta!

As the newest member of the High Tech High Touch Team here in Asheville, NC I followed the tradition of choosing a science name that honors a part of our individual interests in science. So, why did I choose the name, “Biodiversity Britta?”

I have lived in this part of Western North Carolina since 2004 when I became a student at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Economics. During my lifetime, I have witnessed a lot of changes in the natural world around me, and not all good. As an advocate for the health of our planet, I choose to honor biodiversity because of its importance for life on Earth.

The term “biodiversity” is short for biological diversity, and it refers to every single life on our planet. This includes each animal, plant, fungi, Protista (such as algae), and microorganisms (bacteria and archaea). Biodiversity not only refers to each organism; it also refers to the genetic variation within them. It is a fundamental and integral concept in the study of our natural world.

Earth is a unique place in our universe. It formed in the early days of our solar system, and is thought to be approximately 4.54 billion years old. The earliest known life forms on Earth existed at least 3.7 billion years ago, as evidenced by the existence of carbon molecules in rocks that are consistent with life. Since that time, life on this planet has evolved from the most basic microbes to the plant dominated world that we now live in, where animals also play a significant role in our biosphere. There is an interconnected relationship between every life on this planet.

Humans are a relatively new species on Earth. The first modern humans, Homo sapiens, originated sometime between 550,000 and 750,000 years ago, and have played a significant role in the change of biodiversity. There have been many periods of rapid change in biodiversity in the history of Earth, but within the span of human existence, the most significant change has occurred within the last 100-150 years. This change is the world we know today.

Asheville, NC exists in the Southern Appalachian region of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This area has experienced its own unique changes in biodiversity. In 1995, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae, was discovered in North Carolina in three counties adjacent to Virginia. The HWA originated from Southern Japan, and as such, is invasive to eastern North America. They are small, aphid-like bugs that attach to the base of the pine needles and feed on the starches of the branches. It is estimated that 80% of all eastern and Carolina hemlocks in Western North Carolina are now dead, and much of the blame for that decline can be placed on the HWA.

The implications of this decline are far reaching and is something that I have intimately witnessed over the past two decades living in WNC. By the time the woolly adelgid was discovered in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 2002, the largest record-breaking old growth hemlocks were on their deathbeds. Hemlocks are a riparian tree, meaning they grow in the moist soils along stream banks. Hemlocks are shade-tolerant evergreens, and one of their most important ecological contributions was shading mountain streams. This contributed to the low water temperatures where native aquatic animals, such as Hellbenders and Brook Trout, thrive.

This is not the first rapid change in biodiversity that this region has experienced in recent human history. In the early twentieth century, the chestnut blight wiped out the American Chestnut tree, which had once dominated forests in the eastern United States. Chestnuts had once provided an abundant nutrient-dense food source to humans and animals alike. The loss of species is not limited to plants: we have seen Passenger pigeons, the Carolina parakeet, and bison eradicated. Countless other species are threatened or endangered. There has also been an undesirable proliferation of invasive species beyond the HWA, from feral swine to kudzu, that can be attributed to a loss of biodiversity. Experts estimate that the decline of 42% of threatened or endangered species can be attributed to exotic, invasive species.

The health of our natural world can be measured by biodiversity. Change is inevitable: some as part of the natural evolution of our species on our planet and from anthropogenic causes. Just in my lifetime, I have observed the transformation of the forests I grew up hiking through. What changes have you witnessed in your lifetime? How has your region of Earth changed?

Stay tuned for Part II where we’ll explore why biodiversity is so important for humankind

“Biodiversity” Britta Spencer

https://wordwildlife.org https://earthguide.ucsd.edu https://www.planetary.org/articles/how-old-is-the-earth https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/essential-timeline-understanding-evolution-homo-sapiens-180976807/ https://savehemlocksnc.org/hemlocks-hwa/hemlock-woolly-adelgid/ https://www.americanforests.org/article/the-last-of-the-giants/ https://tacf.org/history-american-chestnut/ https://ncwf.org/blog/extinct-wildlife-in-north-carolina/

Rover Wheels!

Scientists are curious people. They question every part of a subject so they may form a hypothesis and essentially theories and/or solutions. When designing the rovers for Mars scientists had to consider all the aspects of the launch, travel, and eventually exploration of Mars.

Mars
1. Fourth planet from the sun
2. Martian solar day is called a sol and is equal to 24.6 earth hours.
3. A year on Mars is equal to 1.88 Earth years.
4. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.
5. It is the second smallest of our solar systems planets with a diameter of 6,779 km (4,212 mi).
6. During the year, the average surface temperature swings between −78.5 °C (−109.3 °F) to 5.7 °C (42.3 °F).
7. Earth has an axial tilt at 23.5 degrees and Mars at 25 degrees.
8. Mars has a rocky, sometimes sandy surface with tall mountains.
9. Mars appears orange because the soil has a high amount of iron.

Also, when transporting something in space scientists had to think about the extreme temperatures of space and the cargo load of the items being transported. In this case it is the Mars Rover Perseverance. Perseverance was launched on July 30, 2020, at 11:50 Coordinate Universal Time. Perseverance landed on February 18, 2021, at 20:55 UTC. As of 31 March 2025, Perseverance has been active on Mars for 1462 sols!

So, one thing very specific scientists had to think about was the wheels of the rover. Curiosity and Perseverance wheels are composed of aluminum with titanium spokes making them extremely durable and light. The Perseverance wheels are a bit thicker, they are narrower, and the tread is different in hopes they will stay intact longer than Curiosities has. The robust wheels have served their purpose well but now scientists are thinking about the next exploration vehicles having more flexibility. This would allow any components onboard to endure less abrupt movement. The new wheel prototypes have a metal that can flex and return to its original shape! Not only does it flex but each time the movement causes the metal to heat up. Each time it returns to its original shape it will then cool down. This new metal is an alloy composed of nickel and titanium.

Many technological advances have been made concerning space travel that have been used here on earth and this alloy is one of them! Imagine airless tires that return to their shape each time as they traverse the rocky surface. These could be used for our vehicles here and in fact are already being tested for bicycles!

What other thoughts or question could you think of concerning space travel?

References:
https://www.nasa.gov/
https://www.cnet.com/science/new-photos-from-mars-show-nasa-rover-has-holes-in-its-wheels/

LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK!

GRADE: 4th

TEACHER: Ms. Mason

PROGRAM: It Doesn’t Phase Me

SCIENTIST: Meteor Martin

Limelight School of the Week: Cape Fear Christian Academy

Hello Scientists, I hope everyone is having a wonderful and exciting Spring. Playing sports, riding bikes, and enjoying this weather in anticipation of being able to go to the pool and cooking on the grill. Our season has been jammed pack full of classes and meeting new students and teachers. One of those new groups was the Fourth Graders at Cape Fear Christian Academy in Erwin, NC.

I believe I have stated before, one of my favorite things is to go into a classroom for the first time and see how the children begin the class so quiet and shy because they have no idea what to expect or how exciting things are about to get and within 10 minutes everyone is raising their hands, asking questions, telling me stories, so much so that I often have to tell the kids that I wish I could keep calling on them but if we don’t continue the lesson, we will never complete all the great activities.

We had so much fun with our lesson “It Doesn’t Phase Me,” learning about the moon and where it came from, learning and making craters as well as covering the different phases of the moon.

After class, while I was cleaning up, the children began asking me questions. Some were science related and then others were off the wall such as do I know the WOAH. I said, “the what.” Then they proceeded to show me some new dance called the WOAH. After I did it, the entire class began clapping and cheering. IT WAS AWESOME!!!

Well, I would like to thank Mrs. Mason and the Fourth Graders at Cape Fear Christian Academy for having High Touch High Tech be part of your lesson and I can’t wait to see you again next year.

This is “Meteor” Martin blasting off.

“From the Field”

Molecule Mike – “Sounds Like Fun”

You can’t predict those purpose-affirming moments that often happen in classrooms. All it takes is one comment or thought-provoking question from a precocious student to remind you that making science fun and increasing science literacy is critical and impactful work.

During a recent in-school field trip for 2nd graders at Evergreen Charter School, a clever and brave student had a fantastic contribution to the program, “Sounds Like Fun”, that made my day and enhanced everyone’s experience. The parking lot was adjacent to the schools’ tree-level ropes course and every adult I spoke to let me know where fresh coffee could be found so I knew this would be a good day!

While breaking down sound as vibrations and how our ears translate vibrations into something our brains understand, I use a tuning fork as a visual/audible aid. A student raised his hand to share an experience he had using a tuning fork. It is always a gamble asking for a student to contribute a related anecdote; relevance is subjective. This young man told our whole group about how doctors had used a tuning fork touched to his forehead to help study his hearing and provide the best hearing device which he received the previous week. How cool! I told him, what a great example of vibrations and the tiny bones that help us hear.

Sometimes being different in school can be tough. I think the experience shared by this student took at least a bit of courage, yet he offered it to help explain an abstract concept to peers and ended up being the star of the day. I appreciated his story so much, I shared it with the next class and anyone else who asked how my day went.

High Touch High Tech programs are great for engaging students’ imaginations with hands-on activities but nothing I prepared could have provided the emotional connection to the material this student shared. Students trust what kids their ages say which makes this a story I’ll use every time I teach “Sounds Like Fun”. Something a 2nd grader taught me. How cool!

LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK…..

GRADE: 4th Grade

TEACHER: Ms. Ibrahim

PROGRAM: Newton in a Nutshell

SCIENTIST: Meteor Martin

This week’s LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK IS……Brier Creek Elementary School in Raleigh, NC.

This week I had the opportunity to visit the 3^rd graders in Ms. Ibrahim’s class out at Brier Creek Elementary School with our science program “Newton in a Nutshell”. We had a fantastic lesson on Sir Isaac Newton and gravity. The children had a great time being able to participate in several hands-on science experiments, involving the three laws on motion.

These students were so involved in the experiments and new so much about physics and gravity, that when it was time for the class to end, they could not believe that it was over all ready! I kept hearing, “NO, I don’t want you to go” and “just one more experiment please!” One class had so much fun with one of the experiments centered around inertia, (a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force) now just reading that definition of inertia doesn’t sound interesting or fun BUT when all the students grouped together in the middle of the classroom, turning one of the hands-on experiments into a performance, (Ms. Ibrahim had to video them) the children loved it!

Now that is what it is all about, how to learn about science, but yet make it fun for them!!! I look forward to being back at Brier Creek in just two weeks.

Thank you so much Brier Creek Elementary School for allowing High Touch High Tech to be part of your curriculum.😊

Until next time, this is Meteor Martin blasting off!

LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK….

GRADE: 3rd Grade

TEACHER: Ms. Williams

PROGRAM: Newton in a Nutshell

SCIENTIST: Meteor Martin

This week’s LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK IS……Long Mill Elementary School in Youngsville, NC

Hello Scientists, before I get into some detail about our Limelight school of the week, I wanted to tell everyone about a funny and embarrassing story that happened just before I arrived at the Limelight school.

My wife was out of town, so my mother had to take my children to school that morning in order for me to begin my classes on time. I needed to stop by her house, which was close by, to drop something off and as I opened the door, her security system went off. Now, I do know her code, but was not expecting this loud, obnoxious sound and I panicked. I couldn’t remember a thing. To make a long story short, the alarm company called the authorities and I waited 10 min for them to show. After no body arrived, I left and headed to the school. My mom arrived home shortly after to a Sheriff waiting and escorted her into the house to make sure nobody was in her home. I have to say, that had it been a true emergency, I am not sure that I am thrilled that it took over ten minutes for anyone to arrive at the home

So that’s how my day began and thank goodness it got so much better once I arrived at Long Mill Elementary,” on time I might add.

Our lesson, Newton in a Nutshell, was a hit with the 3^rd graders. We had so much fun learning about and exploring Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. As the second class of the day was about to end, one of the students calls out “I would rather stay here and do more activities than go to lunch.” All I can say is, “LOVE IT.”

As I teach, I really enjoy speaking with and getting to know the teachers that I am helping in each and every school that I go to. As I was talking with one of these wonderful teachers at Long Mill Elementary, she stated that, “This is so much better that other field trips. It is so much easier having you come in and teach than to load up on a bus, get permission forms signed and returned, make sure that all the students have lunches and keep up with them.” It is exhilarating to hearing such positive comments from both students and teachers about our programs.

Thank you so much Long Mill Elementary School for allowing High Touch High Tech to be part of your curriculum.😊

Until next time, this is Meteor Martin blasting off!

“Meteor Martin” Lets Hear It From A Scientist!

Lesson Plan of the Week

Hello Scientists, before we get started on this week’s topic, I wanted to take a second to share with you a great moment that I had at Lafayette Elementary School this past week. I arrived on campus and was walking into the school when one of the teachers standing outside helping with carpool that morning quickly stopped me. He began telling me that his son was in 5^th grade, and that the day before, I was teaching his class our lesson “Forced to Change”. That evening, he began telling his parents everything that we had covered in class that day including the topics we discussed as well as the experiments that we did and that he had a great time.

I have to say, that after three months as the Manager of the RDU location, this has to be my most memorable moment so far. I was so excited to hear that the child has such a great time. Since there was so much excitement with that lesson, I figured it would be worth going back and letting you all know more about what we did.

Forced to Change has everything to do with Sir Isaac Newton and his discovery of Gravity as well as his three laws of motion. Newton’s first law of motion has to do with Inertia, which is the physical force that says that an object at rest stays at rest and that an object in motion stays in motion unless a force either makes it move or stop.

We next talked about Newton’s second law of motion that states that the acceleration of an object is directly equal to the size of the object and the force acting on the object.

Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This experiment was really exciting. One at a time, the children came over to me and stood on a round, rotating platform. I then handed them a wheel with two handles on it. The kids would stay on the platform and I would spin the wheel quickly. As the children rotated their hands from left to right, they would rotate in the opposite direction they were turning the wheel. In order to keep them interested while I was doing this experiment, the kids were able to explore working with incline planes.

As you can see, we all had a fun, exciting and busy lesson on Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. I bet you can’t wait to hear about our next super exciting lesson!

“Meteor Martin” Lets Hear It From A Scientist!

Hello Scientists, this is “Meteor” Martin and I hope that everyone had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. The past week has been loaded with fun and exciting lessons which included; Cosmic Capers, Invisible Forces, Mystery Science, DNA is Here to Stay, Edison’s Workshop, Forced to Change and finally, Eco Safari.

We first traveled to outer space at Lafayette Elementary and learned about Planets, Stars, Dwarf Planets and other small solar system bodies. The students were able to make their own sundials as well as study and build a glowing constellation. We then made glow in the dark “space mud” with the help of a special ingredient and finally everyone had an opportunity to make a comet to show off to their parents

Our next stop was at Sterling Montessori where we learned about invisible forces such as Magnetism, Gravity and Inertia. We explored how and why magnetism works and were able to see and feel a magnetic field with the help of some strong magnets. The children also made hover disks that could glide on the floor on a cushion of air. Our next experiment involved taking a closer look at inertia and how objects at rest will stay at rest and objects in motion will stay in motion as we had a picnic and attempted to pull out a table cloth from underneath at various speeds while observing the results.

We spent some time with the after-school children at Sanford Creek as the kids took a closer look into the mystery of science and how we can make a penny appear and disappear with the help of refracting light. They also poked holes into a water filled bag with little to no water escaping. Is it Magic or Science???

At Greensboro Academy, we learned about DNA and had the opportunity to fingerprint each child. We then talked about genes and traits and took a closer look at why some children could roll their tongue and others could not. Next, we were able to see a 3D picture of a DNA Strand as well a make an edible double helix. Our final experiment involved extracting the DNA out of a strawberry. The kids loved using different chemicals in order to make the special solution.

We then had a lesson at Franklin Academy where we took a closer look at Thomas Edison and discussed and demonstrated how static and current electricity work. The children were then able to “touch” lightning with the help of a lightning globe and then made their very own electroscope, which takes static electricity and is able to turn it into current electricity. Finally, we took a closer look at the stored energy within a battery and how we were able to use them to power a light bulb and school bell.

Lafayette elementary then had us back with the 5^th graders this time to teach and demonstrate lessons involving the Three Laws of Motion by Sir Isaac Newton. The children participated in several experiments looking at inertia with the table cloth pull, chip flip, and clothes pin drop. Next, everyone had a chance to test the 2^nd law of motion by walking with a bag of beans and letting it go at various speeds in order to observe acceleration and mass. They were then able to “feel” Newton’s 3^rd law by standing on a rotating platform and using a gyroscope that would move the children left or right depending on the direction the gyroscope was moved.

Our Final destination for the week was Turner Elementary where we discussed the lesson Eco Safari. The children were able to talk about, explore, and build their very own rain forest ecosystem starting with the forest floor then moving up to the under-story, then the canopy and finished with the emergent layer. The children then continued their lesson by learning about different aquatic ecosystems including ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. They were then able to make a very realistic corral reef to take home.

As you can see, we were very busy this past week or so and covered many different and exciting topics including Outer Space, Magnetism, Gravity, Inertia, DNA, Electricity, Motion and Ecosystems.

I can’t wait until next week!!!

“Meteor Martin” Lets Hear It From A Scientist!

Hello Scientist. The is “Meteor” Martin and we have had a fun and wonderful week working with the children at Wild Wood, Thales of Wake Forest, and Pleasant Grove Elementary Schools. Our lessons this week were “Sounds Like Fun” and “What’s the Matter”.

Sounds like Fun began with a discussion as to what Sound is and where it comes from. We discussed sound waves and how they travel and were able to SEE a sound wave and make different frequencies with the help of an oldie but goodie, the Slinky. I was then able to prove that sound comes from vibrations as each child was able to tap and listen to a tuning fork. Next, we covered how we hear with our ears and everyone made using a device that mimicked our ear using a cup as our ear canal, plastic wrap for the ear drum and salt was used in place of the ossicles ( hammer, anvil and stirrup). We then banged the tuning fork and put it near the cup so that we could see how the vibrations traveled from the fork down our ear and eventually makes it to our brain. We were also able to also make roaring cups that amplified sound from a string and finally made music with a rubber band and plastic container. The children loved each and every activity.

With What’s the Matter, we spoke about the three main states of matter (Solid, Liquid and Gas) the properties of each and what makes one different from the other. We also went over evaporation and condensation with our first experiment testing the volatility of three different liquids. The children were able to observe and communicate what the noticed and how one liquid will evaporate quicker than another. Our second experiment focused on the cohesion and adhesion of water molecules as the kids were able to “pull” water around a track from start to finish using a Popsicle stick with the water bubble staying intact. Finally, we introduced what a chemical change is and how it differs from a physical change as we made a polymer using glue, water and borax.

A Scientists Week at HTHT

Hello scientists, this is Meteor Martin and I am going to discuss our lessons for the week of Nov. 5^th, 2018. First, we had Kindergartner’s work on Weather Wizards. Next some 3^rd graders loved The Body Shop and finally we studied ecosystems with 5^th graders and went on an Eco Safari.

For Weather Wizards, we discussed and discovered different weather events and climates as the children had a chance to “touch” lightning and “see” thunder. Next, we went ice fishing, and the kids learned to pick up ice with a piece of string using a secret ingredient. Finally, we all made instant snow that the teacher could keep and use it throughout the school year.

The Body Shop was a blast! The 3^rd graders were able to see first hand digestion of a cracker using saliva. Then, everyone made a polymer very similar to how our digestive system takes food and turns it into energy. Next, we got to take a very close, HANDS ON look at a cow liver, kidney and heart. The reactions of the children were priceless.

Finally, this week, we went on a safari to explore and talk about ecosystems. The children made a rain forest from the ground up as we spoke about its different layers and what they are comprised of. Next, each child made there very own corral reef with bright colors and sea weed.

Whew, What A Week!!! Now to get supplies ready for some more fun and exciting hands-on experiments next week!

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