From: wecooks@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: Activity 2.2
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 22:55:33 -0800
Sounds like your class really learned a lot! Great job! jkc On 12/13/96 15:54:48 you wrote: > >I apologize for this being so long, but it's a story that must be told. I >am in the middle of Activity 2.2 (pages 34-35) of the Teacher's Guide and >want to give you a progress report. I have had two of the greatest days >with this lesson!!! This is the end of my igneous unit. So far we looked at >igneous minerals and then at the rocks they formed. Then we looked at the >two major types of volcanoes (shield and explosive) and discussed the >reasons why they occur. As a part of this we watched last year's Nova >"Hawaii, Born of Fire" (excellent flick!!!) which led us to becoming >"Planetary Geologists." > > >Yesterday we created the cinder cones using different varieties of sand. I >used a VERY coarse sand (Sanabel Island Shell/sand), small mineral chips, >coarse aquarium sand, VERY fine Carribean white, and Hawaiian Black with >the curse removed. In addition to measuring the angle of the slope I also >had the kids measure the height and find the circumference by drawing a >line around the outside of the cinder cone. Then they poured the sand back >into the beaker and either measured the diameter with a ruler or simply >counted the lines on the graph paper. I had them pour the sand on to graph >paper that had each centimeter accented with .2 divisions in between. In >addition to doing this we digitally photographed "the best" cone of each >type from the top and side with a Connectrix(?) 8 bit black and white >camera and saved to disk. The kids loved it!! > >Today we discussed the angles and why so many people came up with so many >different slopes. We had a great discussion of error! Then I asked them >what they thought the steepest slope they could comfortably walk up would >be (remember this?). They all fell into the same trap we did saying 35 to >70 degrees (I teach 8th grade). Then I broke out the 2 X 10 plank and >ladder and we tested our ability to measure angles. With one person doing >the walking, two spotting and one holding the ladder, everything went >smoothly. (Many people looked askance at me for trying this. I told the >principal and warned the nurse in advance.) > >Now for the neat part! After it was over, I photographed the ladder/plank >at its maximum slope and put the pict file into the NIH program, and we >measured the angle using the software. It was incredible! The maximum angle >was only 32 degrees! They thought for sure it was going to be 65 or 70! We >then went back and did the same thing with the photos taken the day before >of the various slopes, heights, and circumferences. In one class ALL of the >slopes came out within 2 degrees of one another! Because they had done the >activity on graph paper, we had a ready scale to calibrate the software to >measure the circumference and height. They were impressed! > >This lesson was one of the best examples of integrating technology into a >science lesson that I have ever seen. Thank you Passport to Knowledge for >giving me the initial idea. > > > > > > Janet K. Cook, Science Instructor, Night Program Colorado's Finest Alternative High School 2323 W. Baker Ave., Englewood, CO 80110 Phone (303) 934-5786 (2:00 pm-10:30 pm) Fax (303) 934-9183 Voice Mail (303)806-2000 x 1904 Cook Enterprises Voice Mail (303)692-3872