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High school physics students recently made a trip to Radez Elementary to mentor fourth grade students and teach them about physics through two different activities: Cartesian Divers and Morse Code.
The Cartesian Divers activity introduced students to the concept of density. Students constructed “divers” using pipettes that were placed in a two liter bottle filled with water. Students watched the “diver” move up and down in the water as they squeezed and released the bottle.
Students were introduced to simple circuits and communication using waves (electromagnetic and mechanical) during the Morse Code activity. Students constructed a simple series circuit with a light bulb and/or electric buzzer and used this circuit to send a message to a partner located on the opposite side of a divider.
The goal of the collaboration was to provide fourth grade students with the opportunity to experience science with a “science mentor” to guide them through the investigative process. Physics students are typically juniors or seniors who have completed other upper level science courses and allowed the high school students to share some of the knowledge they have gained while at C-RCSD.