Happy Earth Day! Another lovely week in middle school, as we welcome the legit onset of spring weather.
In the cabin, we have been focused on WAVES lately. While our primary concentration has been on sound waves, the middle schoolers have been learning about the structure of waves, the terminology and formulas which concern them, and how energy travels as waves through different media (or empty space).
To that end, over the past few weeks, the crew has been engaged in a musical instrument design project. The cabin has been alive with the sounds of building, along with honking, plucking, tapping, and clinking noises as the class works to develop instruments from upcycled materials capable of producing sound at multiple frequencies. These projects are due Wednesday, 4/27, along with a written reflection and design sketch. The kids will give a brief demonstration of their instrument including the performance of a "song", and then we'll have a jam session (which I'm sure will not be cacophonous at all.)
As we dive deeper into waves this week, we are also learning about Thomas Young's revolutionary Double Slit Experiment, in which it was demonstrated that light travels as particles AND waves simultaneously. This is a great example of how a simple experiment can have the power to cause future generations of scientists to reevaluate the nature of matter and existence, itself!
We've also watched a bunch of videos of surfers getting totally wrecked by giant ocean waves, because, you know, that's pretty fun. Ouch...
Have an awesome weekend
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