Raymond J. Lockhart students in Massapequa explore during district-wide enrichment program
 | | Shown in the photo Raymond J. Lockhart Elementary School students in the Massapequa Public Schools let their creative juices flow while taking a closer look at what scientists do. Pictured are students with the spacecrafts they created that they designed to "take off" and "land" in Oobleck, a mysterious substance whose properties they analyzed during this unique educational activity. |
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As part of the expansion of the Massapequa Schools' district wide enrichment program, fourth grade students at Raymond J. Lockhart Elementary School (RJL) were given a first hand look as to what scientists do when they participated in a unique activity that combined science and literature. Students were given a "mysterious substance" called "Oobleck" that needed to be analyzed, which they were told was from a "new planet." The substance had similar properties to Oobleck in the Dr. Seuss book titled
Bartholomew and the Oobleck, which students had previously read. The next part of this activity asked students to take the properties of Oobleck into consideration, and in turn, design a model of a spacecraft that could land and take off from this substance. "Students were delighted by this activity," stated enrichment teacher Joanne Markowski. "Not only was it educational and interdisciplinary, but it kept them engaged."
In another activity that coincided with the Thanksgiving holiday, RJL students participated in a creative problem solving activity with a twofold challenge. One was to sketch a Thanksgiving balloon design, then create it with a set array of materials including a helium balloon. The second aspect involved the science behind parade balloon creations, such as those used in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. "Since helium is less dense than air, students need to add enough mass to their balloon so that when they let go of the string it floats in midair," explained Markowski. After they completed their scientifically sound creations, students paraded through the hallway to the delight of onlookers in a Thanksgiving parade of their own that was enjoyed by the entire RJL school community.
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