Tag: weather

Limelight School Of The Week!

 

GRADE:    5th Grade

TEACHER:  Ms. Greggory

PROGRAM:  Meteorology Madness

SCIENTIST:  Meteor Martin

 

This week’s LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK IS……LaFayette Elementary School, Fuquay-Varina, NC

Hello Scientists, I hope that everyone has had a scientifically wonderful week.  Our Limelight school is none other that the legendary, Lafayette Elementary. I would like to begin by thanking the administration, teachers and students for making High Touch High Tech such a huge part of your school’s yearly calendar and for allowing me the opportunity to get to know so many of you.  It is such a great feeling to walk down the halls and receive so many high fives from the kids and just as many good mornings from the staff.  The pleasure is all mine.

This week, the fifth graders and I were able to discuss and explore several different meteorological events including:  clouds, lightning, thunder, pressure systems and more.  I must give high praises to the teachers because it seemed as if the children knew as much about Meteorology as I do.  Way to go guys!

I love to pay attention as the children perform each experiment and listen as they talk to one another.  It is the best way to get a true impression as to how much they are enjoying the programs.  At one point I heard one of them say, “This is amazing” and another asked me after our lesson was over if I “could go to lunch with them.”  Maybe next time guys.

I want to thank Mrs. Gregory and the rest of the fifth-grade staff for everything that you do to make High Touch High Tech so important in your teaching.  I will see you all next week, when I return to work with the 4th graders and we learn all about the Moon. 😊

Until next time, this is “Meteor” Martin blasting off!

A Scientists Week at HTHT

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

 

 

 

For more information on programs or reservations,

Contact us at 800.444.4968 or at

ScienceMadeFunRDU.net

Brrr…..it’s cold outside!

Image Source: Pixabay.com

With winter weather in full swing, we have heard a lot about the “wind chill factor”. What exactly is wind chill and how do you “factor” it in to the temperature? In basic terms, windchill is the temperature a person feels because of the wind. The movement of air increases heat loss by convection – similar to when you blow over a spoonful of hot soup! There is a special formula meteorologists use to calculate the wind chill. Check out this chart and figure out what the temperature really feels like in your neighborhood!

Image Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via Wikimedia Commons

 

Weather Fun!

Now that cold weather has arrived Brad Vereen of High Touch High Tech of the Bay Area, California (http://www.sciencemadefunsfba.net/) has suggested a fun weather experiment you can try at home.

Supplies Needed:
Baby food jar
Alka-seltzer tablet
Pastina (can substitute instant mashed potato flakes)
Water

Experiment: Weather Jar
1. Fill the jar with water about ¾ full
2. Put a few pieces of pastina or mashed potato flakes in the jar
3. Place Aka-seltzer tablet in jar and immediately put the lid on

Watch weather happen before your eyes! See thunder by using pastina (notice how they look like clouds). The pastina will dance up and down simulating the event of thunder as cold air pushes warm air down. You can substitute instant mashed potato flakes for the pastina to create a more dramatic weather event. While it also simulates thunder, it will look like a snowstorm in the jar!

‘Fun’omena

On November 10, High Touch High Tech of Boston visited Plympton Elementary School in Waltham, MA. The 4th graders were engaged for 90 minutes of hands on science experiments with Rocket Ryan as they participated in the action packed program ‘Fun’omena. Students learned about weather phenomena as they erupted volcanoes, simulated earthquakes, talked about hurricanes, and created tornadoes. Students were also “eggscited” to learn about the earth’s structure and forces as they “eggamined” with a hard boiled egg during an “eggsperiment.” Check out an article about the program in The Daily News Tribune by clicking on the following link:
http://www.dailynewstribune.com/multimedia/x947779922/Plympton-students-dive-into-Earth-sciences.
You can also watch a video of Rocket Ryan in action as he counts down to a volcanic eruption with students by clicking on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa2gjVkzkhE