Casey Brower and Gracie Burraway
Geology Class Com by Gail Sestito
Group II Inventions Last spring, Group II students set out to learn about the Invention State (our own Connecticut) in the very best way: by becoming inventors themselves. Group II teachers Paige Morley and Fay Venetsanos charged the girls with identifying a problem in the classroom—and then designing a solution. The students jumped at the challenge, tackling everything from lost pencils to Goldfish crumbs to leaky beanbag chairs. For the next step of the project, the girls visualized their inventions by molding them out of clay. They then created “block” versions of their objects, building their inventions with one-inch foam cubes. The reason? The cubes would help the girls visualize—and design—their objects using Blockify: a block-based 3D computer-aided design (CAD) program. The students could refer to their foam models— noting that it was three cubes by five cubes by four cubes high, for example—and mirror that same dimensionality while designing their objects in Blockify on the iPad. For the finale, the Blockify designs were sent to science teacher Doug Rendell, who readied the files with different software—and then sent them along to the 3D printer in GA’s Engineering and Design Lab. Here, the inventions would become real objects. Each object took about four to five hours to print (a spool of plastic filament feeds into the 3D printer, which then heats the plastic to build up the object, layer by layer). A shelf near the printer showcased the results: an array of pink, blue, and red plastic objects, ranging from pencil holders to folder organizers to whiteboard erasers. A few larger wooden objects, including a small folding seat, also graced the table; designs too big for the 3D printer were cut from wood on the design lab’s ShopBot machine. “The students thought they were just taking their designs to the Blockify stage,” noted Ms. Morley. “It was fun to surprise them with the 3D printer and ShopBot step.” Ms. Venetsanos observed that the process of invention was just as impressive as the results: “The students had to be able to explain their inventions and to adapt their ideas—and solve problems—each step of the way.” Both Group II teachers remarked on the work setting itself: the Engineering and Design Lab. “We were surrounded by the inventions and creations of students from the entire school,” said Ms. Venetsanos. “It was inspiring.” No doubt Group II’s clever inventions will continue the chain of inspiration for fellow students to come. - Joan Slattery 08
G R E E N W I C H AC A D E M Y
FA L L 20 14
For 16 rising Group VIII girls, science class did not end with the closing of the school year; their third trimester study of geology moved from the classroom to the vast expanses of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Led by Group VII science teacher Gail Sestito and Middle School math teacher Hilary Brodhun, the girls headed out west in June to explore the geological specimens, geothermal features, and wilderness of these breathtaking parks. From the moment we touched down in Salt Lake City, Utah, the girls were anxious to begin their outdoor science adventure. After a quick swim in the Great Salt Lake, we drove north through Utah and Idaho, then settled for the night in West Yellowstone, Montana, to recharge and prepare for the exciting days ahead. The girls started their first full Whitewater rafting day in Yellowstone with a visit to on the Snake River the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center where they learned about the rescue and rehabilitation of local wildlife including bald eagles, wolves, and young bears. Traveling south, our group made stops at the Norris Geyser Basin to view its many steam vents, mudpots, small geysers, and fumaroles, and then drove over to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, an amazing crevasse in the park shaped by thousands of years of river erosion. After the viewing of a few odorous sulphur springs and sticky mud volcanoes, we made our way to the northern area of Yellowstone National Park to view Mammoth Hot Springs, formed by the combination of geothermal activity interacting with the various minerals found in the surrounding rock. On our way back to town, we took a long hike at the top of a ridge, which offered a stunning vista of the Yellowstone caldera, the outline of the historic eruption that took place over 640,000 years ago. The evening was spent browsing the shops in West Yellowstone with essential stops made at the Taco Truck and the various homemade ice cream stores. The next day began with an early morning trek around the Grand Prismatic Spring. We made our way through a wooded trail, elevating us above the spring for an incredible aerial view. Next we set off for the Upper and Lower Geyser basins, which house examples of all four of the park’s geothermal features. Of course we made the obligatory stop at Old Faithful, which, ironically, was 15 minutes late. Driving around the park’s windy dirt roads offered many views of elk, moose, osprey, bald eagles, and one carefully hidden bear! Our next stop was in Jackson, Wyoming, where the group suited up for a whitewater rafting excursion. We enjoyed a smooth and scenic float down the Snake River, seeing more wildlife along the way. After about seven miles, the boats were pulled ashore and the group hiked up a trail to the campsite where a hot meal and