Summer SAVY 2018: Session 5, Day 1 – Chemical Spill, Mr. Knorr (Rising 3rd/4th)
Good afternoon Parents!
What an exciting first day we had! We enjoyed getting to know each other and taking our first look at some essential scientific principles. We discussed the scientific method, how it is a means for answering questions about the world. We also learned from Bill Nye that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof!”
We focused on chemistry in the morning, including protons, electrons, anions, cations, and atomic structure. Your chemists did a wonderful job retaining the information! They even used blocks to build their own molecules, and discussed what happens when we take electrons away. This material is usually taught in high school, but they were eager and receptive learners. We also tested various liquids for pH level, using litmus paper.
In the afternoon, we went out to the site of a supposed chemical spill. We have it on good authority that there has been suspicious activity around Vanderbilt campus, including trucks coming through with containers of waste, strange growths on a tree, and construction around the scene. While the evidence we found today was inconclusive, we plan to revisit the site tomorrow to check for chemical activity. We enjoyed taking on the roles of Navigator, Security Specialist, Sampler, Data Logger throughout our expedition.
Thank you for sharing your sweet students with us! We cannot wait for the excitement in store this week!
Mr. Dave & Ms. Janette
Working With Our Samples
