Post Visit at Westlake Elementary

People Density Activity

Today we went to Westlake Elementary School for our post visit, which was wrapping up our CSI experiment at the Children’s Museum. After reading a fun poem about the scientific method to our class, we had them do a people density activity. On the floor, we taped out a boxed and had two students get inside of the box. We had them walk around to show all of the space that they had surrounding them. We added more and more students until they could no longer move. This activity was showing the students that the more people there are the denser it is because they do not have any space to move freely around.

Fire Drill

We then divided the students into small groups and they traveled to three different stations regarding density and the scientific method. At my station, Camille and I reviewed how to measure density. When went over what a hydrometer is, how to use it, and what makes a liquid more and less dense. We also asked questions about the different ingredients in our liquids: coke, diet coke, and minute maid lemonade. The students pleasantly surprised us with remembering how to use the hydrometer, what it does, and what affects density. Each group was different and needed different accommodations, but it taught us how to adapt to these different groups. I also learned how to manage my time better. During the middle of our stations, a fire drill went off that made us adjust what we did the rest of our time and had to adapt in order to get everything done.

Comparing Coke to Water

After all of the stations were completed, we had the students turn to a neighbor and share something new they learned today and all of the students were eager to do this. They were excited to share what they had experienced at a certain station and were making connections to their visit at the Children’s Museum.