Re: Follow-up on Wed School Visits

Joniqua A. Howard, MS
Ph.D. Candidate
Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Avenue, ENB 118
Tampa, FL 33620
Office: 813.974.2768
Lab: 813.974.7872


Good Morning,
We had some great classes yesterday!

I did Video tape some of each one, by just setting up the camera on a tripod.

The first class was Cutler's 4th Grade Gifted Kids ~20 students.  I started by giving them a lab report to write up as I set everything up.  We had four groups so we set up the four filters:

1. Sand Only
2. Gravel Only
3. Charcoal Only
4. Sand, Gravel & Charcoal.

Mrs. Cutler helped by writing things on the white board while I spoke to the class.  Everyone took out a sheet of paper and divided it into four quadrants.  These were labeled (see attached photo):

1. Procedures - which we talked about as I was doing it, after we had done the other sections.  Mrs Cutler added to it asking everyone to write a prediction of the results on the back of the paper.
2. Equipment - where everyone listed what I set-up - - She had someone get out scrap newspaper to put under it all in case the water spilled.
3. Model - where each student drew a diagram of the experiment that was set-up.  They were only different in the filer materials.  She used this title saying it was an FCAT word they needed to know.
   
4. Data - each student drew a chart of the results. 
   

Next we selected one student from each table to fill the flask with water.  As they came out of the bathroom with a full flask I added the food coloring.  We then talked about how the color "diffused" through the water and how that represented what happens to pollution in our environment.  We talked about the small cup of auto oil that people might dump in their backyard.

I then discussed the procedure for the experiment.  We didn't write anything more down on the paper/board, but I guess I should have told them to since it would have kept them from playing with the water.  We then selected someone to pour the flask into the filter and another student to watch the measuring cup and the clock.  We talked about how we could all do this and agreed we would all pour the flask at 9:58am (10:41am for Kent).

We could have used a stop watch for the charcoal and gravel.  Mrs. Cutler said they could estimate the times, while Kent said they could just count...  Once we poured the flask we started to talk about what was happening.  I asked them about the differences they saw and what might have caused things.  They spoke about / noticed:

• the "charcoal only" had a lot of void space around it so it was the fastest.
• the sand alone was the slowest, with small particles and minimal voids.
• the charcoal like in Britta filters is ground up fine like the sand.
  
• the "sand only" and "All filter" had lighter color water in the end, showing how it was cleaned.
• the cleaned water required a lot longer to filter - the city water plant must run 24/7 to meet our needs.
• flow rate calculations ml/sec were too complicated division for the classes.
  

Mrs. Kent's fifth grade remedial class (6 students) then came into the portable to do the same experiment again as Mrs Culter went to lunch.

Improvements:

1. provide scrap newspaper under everything, and notebook paper for writing lab.
   
2. Bring real lake water samples too.
   
3. write more down about the procedure for the experiment.
4. review predictions after we finished it (Mrs Cutler planned to do more - as they all kept their reports/data).
   
5. use a stopwatch for coal and gravel.
6. use calculator to compare flow rates.
7. Kings Kids would have been better if I had setup all four filters at the beginning.
   
8. Young would have been better if I had brought paper.  Also having the teacher that knows everyone really helps.  McAlister was absent while Kings and Chiles had the teachers repeating and supporting what I said, which really helped keep people on task.
   
9. Young's older kids were more focused setting everything up and taking it all apart.  We should have used the newspaper too.  They did get a little crazy since I was not able to stand by all four groups at once.
   
10. For Young it would have been a lot better to have the procedures and equipment sheet done on a form for them to fill out.  They could have done it all without me having to stop and write things on the board.  I think that's why Cutler's class was really the best.  Kings learned a lot too, and the teachers there kept it moving, but the one filter drip-drip-drip was not enough for the younger kids.
    

I hope this helps Joniqua.  This will certainly help with what I submit to Dr. Trotz at the end of this term.

Take Care,
erw

Eric R. Weaver
Ed. Asst., Organization & Environment (www.coba.usf.edu/jermier/journal.htm)
College of Business, University of South Florida
Department of Management, BSN 3215
4202 East Fowler Avenue Tampa, Florida 33620
Telephone: 813-974-1757 Fax: 813-905-9964

________________________________________
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Mead--

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From: Joniqua Howard <jahowar2@mail.usf.edu>
To: O&E Journal <oe@coba.usf.edu>; O&E Journal <bsn-oe@usf.edu>; Eric <stars2man@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thu, March 4, 2010 2:35:28 AM
Subject: Follow-up on Wed School Visits

Good Morning,

 

I just wanted to follow-up with you on how things went yesterday at the schools.  Please provide me with a summary of the lesson and what worked and didn't work.  If you had to have assistance from the teachers? Were the children attentive and comprehended directions?  Where could you have improved, if any?

 

Thanks

J