Program Update: Science with Kristin and Virgil
6th Grade: The 6th graders have been exploring what happens to light after it's been emitted from an object like a lightbulb or the sun. By tracing light’s path, they’re learning that some light can be absorbed and turned into infrared (heat). This is why it is better to wear a light-colored shirt on a hot, summer day because most of the light is reflected. A black shirt will absorb all of the light and turn it into infrared - making you even hotter! Sometimes light is reflected off an object, like red light off of a strawberry, which explains why the strawberry looks red. Finally, some light can be transmitted, traveling through an object like a window. Sixth graders have also been using lasers and this simulation to explore how the primary colors of light (red, green and blue) can be used to make any other color.
7th Grade: The 7th graders are in the middle of our unit on genetics. We have been investigating what causes an animal to get extra-big muscles. Students figured out how muscles typically develop because of environmental factors such as exercise and diet. Then, students worked with cattle pedigrees, including data about chromosomes and proteins, to figure out genetic factors that influenced the heavily muscled phenotype and explored selective breeding in cattle. We will be investigating plant reproduction, including selective breeding and asexual reproduction (in plants and other organisms) and other examples of traits that are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Students will figure out that environmental and genetic factors together play a role in the differences we see among living things.
8th Grade: The 8th graders have been digging into the question of “Why does hail form in some places at some times but not others?” They have looked at videos of hail storms, images of a variety of huge hailstones, and they even learned about this true firsthand account of a military pilot named William Rankin who ejected from his plane and survived 40 minutes of being tossed up and down inside a hail storm. They are also discovering the science behind such adages as “Dew on the grass, no rain will come to pass.” Hint: it has to do with temperature and relative humidity.