Immanuel Lutheran School

2-10-12-12 Week 24 Report
Middle School “Science Matters” at Immanuel Lutheran School

This week in grade 6 we explored two questions about cells– Where do cells come from, and why are cells usually so small? We reviewed an famous experiment done by Francesco Redi in the 1600s that challenged a popular belief in “spontaneous generation,” the idea that a living thing can come into being from non-living matter. We updated this conversation by reading two articles about recent science research. The first article discussed how chemists are now able to transform one kind of cell (skin) into another kind of cell (blood). The second article discussed bioengineered bandages. We explored our second question, about cell size, by calculating the volume and surface area of three cells of different sizes. The bigger a cell gets, the less relative surface area it has. In other words, the bigger a cell gets, the more difficult it is for a cell to move materials in and out through its membrane, and that is why cells are usually very small. We ended the week by discussing “mitosis,” or cell division, and by starting claymation models to illustrate this process. Next week we will finish with cells, and move on to an exploration of human tissues and the musculoskeletal body system.

The focus of this week in grade 7 was a STEM challenge related to motion and force. Students used various papers, strings, and other materials to design two parachutes. The goal was to use ideas about gravity and air resistance to slow down the fall of a payload, in this case a large washer, as it was dropped from our second floor balcony. We measured flight time for the first models. The challenge then put to students was to re-design their models to fly even slower. One student was able to achieve a second parachute design that slowed down the fall of the washer by a factor of about 4. This week we also considered the biography of Isaac Newton, perhaps the most influential or “seminal” physical scientist of all time. In addition, we enjoyed a visit from Mr.Palkewick. Mr. Palkewick brought in his special sneakers, which are outfitted with a computerized device that measures his movements when he jogs. The device connects to a site run by Nike that enables Mr. Palkewick to graph his speed over distances, and so to chart his progress over time. This device even coaches Mr.Palkewick as he runs by giving him his speed at any moment. Currently, Mr. Palkewick runs about two miles a day. He is a motion machine!

This week, students in grade 8 continued a study of water flow. We considered how water flows downhill on the surface of land, on its way (most of it) to the ocean. We considered the major drainage basins of the continental United States, the biggest one being the Mississippi basin. We also looked at the Long Island Sound drainage basin, which is a smaller watershed closer to home. The Long Island Sound is also an estuary, and a place where salt water meets fresh water. We considered water flow in our local area, which is the Still River that runs through Danbury and empties into the Housatonic River, which in turn empties into the Long Island
Sound. Water flow on the surface of land depends to a large extent on the topography of the land. Topographic maps show the surface features of a place, especially their relative positions and elevations. We ended the week with students drafting their own topological maps of model terrains that we made with natural and manmade objects. Topographical maps are a challenge to make and to read, because they depict an aerial view of objects that we usually see from the side (check out the topographical map of Danbury pictured above). Yet topographical maps offer key information about the lay of the land and how water sometimes flows over it.





Regards,

Mrs. Lutz, Instructor




Our middle school science teacher, Mrs. Lutz, has is taking part in a program run by the Danbury Public Schools, in coordination with Western Connecticut State University, the Connecticut State Department of Education, and the Connecticut Science Center This program is called DESICA, which means Danbury Elementary Science Instructional Coaching Academy. This 3-year program is designed to increase student achievement in science, math, and reading. Approximately 30 teachers from public and private schools in and around Danbury meet throughout the school year and summer. We learn graduate-level science and math content as well as more effective teaching techniques. Teachers who are part of this program will in turn support other teachers in their schools to better integrate student learning in science, math, and literacy. We hope and plan for this program to have a positive impact on teachers, students, and schools.

Contact Mrs. Lutz Click Here


"Mrs. Lutz brings to Immanuel an eclectic background, along with an intense interest in science, design, and the learning process. She holds several degrees, including a B.A. in Psychology and Communications from Oberlin College, an A.A.S. in patternmaking from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology from Marist College. She has seen some of the world as a musician and as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Ecuador. A teacher since 2004, and at Immanuel since 2007, Mrs. Lutz is now learning to be a science coach thanks to a 3-year long, regional program for educators that partners the State of Connecticut, the Danbury Public School System, and Western Connecticut State University."