OVER THE MOON ABOUT SCIENCE

BY SARAH MACDONALD

Our middle school students journeyed back in time to the formation of the universe this past spring. We experienced the Big Bang, saw the Milky Way galaxy begin, and waited for Earth to become habitable. We learned about Earth and Space Science by enacting the phases of the moon by holding ping pong balls on golf tees. By darkening the classroom, we were able to watch the shadow growing and shrinking on the ball, revealing the phases of the moon. We also carved the phases of the moon out of the creamy center of Oreo cookies - and then enjoyed them as a snack. They were heavenly!

We also learned about the stars. Home Depot generously donated workshop kits that allowed students to build their own constellation viewers. After checking out the constellations, we took a field trip to the New Mexico Museum of Science and Natural History - including an exciting planetarium show with comets and asteroids. Then we met Earth’s early inhabitants by visiting dinosaurs and the skeletons of ancient Woolly Mammoths - who knew they once roamed New Mexico?

After learning about the stars and the Earth’s inhabitants, we looked at the ground under our feet and learned how it got there. We started with Plate Tectonics and figured out how the continents fit together to make Pangea. We explored Alfred Wegner’s evidence in seeing the fossils all over the world that could only have gotten there if all the continents were together. We discussed what might happen in the future to the still-moving continents.

A grant from the Santa Fe Civitans allowed us to hold trilobite fossils in our hands while marking where they were found. Students were shocked when they realized fossils were found in southern New Mexico. We also visited the Mid Oceanic Ridge with Google Earth. The 65,000 km ridge is a mountain chain that includes a volcano, and rose from the ocean in Greenland! Luckily, we could visit the Mid-Ocean Ridge without getting our feet wet.

We are looking forward to learning how the Earth continually changes through erosion and natural disasters, including the importance of water and the role of water in weather. The most important takeaway, however, has been that while the Earth may look mighty and strong, it is a delicate home that we need to protect. Let’s spread the word!