On The Land Teacher Kelly Davis taught the 7th Grade Physics block this month, and had this to share about the four-week class:
The block began with the study of reflection. Students had the chance to observe shadow and light and the way they can be directed and focused. We gazed in awe as shadows appeared to bridge the gap between the mirror world and our own world. Discussions were had on the ethics of color manufacturing and the fact that individuals have garnered the sole right to colors, making them inaccessible to all others.
The pinnacle of our week with reflection came as we transformed the classroom into a giant pinhole camera: The “Camera Obscura.” Students watched in wonder as the completely darkened room was illuminated by a beam of light cast from outside. As the hole grew, suddenly images filled the walls, floor, and ceiling: an upside-down version of the world outside. We laughed as students took turns acting out dramas outside the building, the images cast, upside-down, upon the classroom inside.
Week two brought a look into the complexities of electricity. Students witnessed static electricity being created and stored, feeling the all-too-familiar shock of a successful electrical spark! We then moved on to electrical currents and the role of chemical reactions, and then harnessed the currents to create electromagnets. Anything metal became part of their creations! Scissors, paperclips, and the like, all dangled from their experimental magnets. The week culminated in the building of a simple electric motor. By linking the insights they had gained throughout the week, students were able to construct, tweak, and explain the workings of their very own motors.
Week three was full of simple machines. The lever, pulley, wheel, screw, wedge, and ramp all serve as reminders to work smarter, not harder. Students loved to hear tales of great feats thought impossible that became reality through the use of these seemingly magical tools. They saw the power of the lever first-hand by feeling the ease at which a car can rise with a jack—and learned a bit about changing a tire, too! They collected data and watched patterns and relationships emerge out of their findings.
The practical application of this study was so readily absorbed by these eager seventh graders as they experienced the physical forces at play all around us. Through these personal experiences, seemingly complex phenomena become tangible and memorable, and open the door to all the wonder the sciences have to offer.
