Dear Consuelo,
My name is Ramsey Musallam, and I have designed the workshop you will be leading on June 11-13, 17-19, and 24-26. Below you will find resources to ensure your facilitation is both smooth and well-informed. You will also find a copy of this email in the "Materials" section of the workshop curriculum.
Please confirm your readiness by replying to all on this email thread by June 4th after reviewing the provided information. Feel free to ask any questions or share concerns you might have.Workshop Curriculum: Access the curriculum that you and the participants will follow here. Please display this URL for student access: https://wovenlearning.
Workshop Specifics:
Part I: Forensics and Chemistry
- Day 1: Microscopy: The Foldscopes may already come in their final form. Students may need assistance applying the adaptor for their phone, and finding the appropriate lens.
- Day 2: CSI Challenge: Instructional videos are self-explanatory. However, I recommend exploring paper chromatography in more detail before the day begins. Each forensic test is designed to investigate three suspects, but additional materials are available to analyze more suspects if time and student engagement permit. As the instructor, you will need to complete a fingerprint card for each suspect and apply your own fingerprints to the provided acrylic squares. Be sure to work with your colleagues to create separate prints for each suspect. Each group will be provided with three separate cards of prints, one of which will match the lifted print from the "Fingerprint Analysis" portion. These prints and specimens will be used by the students. During the "Final Verdict" portion of the day, students will receive an envelope containing fingerprint cards from various suspects, one of which will match the acrylic square from the "Fingerprint Analysis" portion. Blank cards are provided for this activity.
- Day 3: Chemistry in a Canister: If canisters are not sealed properly they may leak. Encourage students to test their canisters for a tight seal prior to launch.
- Day 4 (Extension): Investigating Slime!: Extension days are designed to be engaging opportunities for open exploration. They will not include uploading of video artifacts.
Part II: Physics and Robotics
- Day 1: Marble Roller Coasters: Students might find it useful to position a cup at the end of their roller coaster to catch their marble. Encourage students to limit the use of tape if possible.
- Day 2: Water Rockets: Oftentimes leaks exist. Check for a tight seal prior to launch and encourage students to pull the chord at an angle perpendicular to launch to prevent pulling the rocket off the launchpad.
- Day 3: Scribbling Robot: Encourage students to try using different colored pens, at different heights to "program" their robot to make different designs.
- Day 4 (Extension) Earthquake Challenge!: Remind students that their structure must be free-standing and they cannot tape, or "stick" their gumdrops to the table. Additionally, encourage students to have one team member simulate the earthquake shaking process as a control.
Part III: Engineering and the Environment
- Day 1: Wind Turbines: Because there will only be one wind testing station, stagger groups through the process and/or bring stations to each group for testing. Depending on the weather, encourage students to test their turbine using natural wind as an extension.
- Day 2: Solar Water Pump: Testing of flow rate is an informal process. Please check in with each student during this process as there is no structured requirement for recording that data.
- Day 3: Battery Design: Play-Doh works well as battery cells instead of lemons, however, encourages students to test the size and of the Play-Doh balls as well as placement of the lemons until the battery operates appropriately. Additionally, the orientation of the LED is essential, with the long side being the "positive" and the short side being the "negative". Encourage students to experiment with the LED orientation. Finally, this lesson is meant to be a moment of "pre training" for the final extension where students will explore more how electrons flow through wires, rather than the source of electron movement.
- Day 4 (Extension) Building Paper Circuits!: Encourage students to check connections and LED/Battery orientation often. Additionally, make connections between the battery activity the previous day as Day 3 and Day 4 of "Part III" are very connected!
For non-urgent inquiries, please email me directly at ramsey@wovenlearning.org. I will reply within 24 hours.
For urgent or time-sensitive inquiries, please call or text me at (415) 260-2581, and I will provide support as soon as possible.
I look forward to our collaboration and hope you find the experience enjoyable and rewarding.
Best regards,
Ramsey Musallam
Workshop Content
Part I: Forensics and Chemistry
Part II: Physics and Robotics
Part III: Engineering and the Environment