Lights, Stars, and Planets!

6^th Grade Quest students enjoyed discovering how astronomers use lights to study the stars and planets. Our class was visited by Mrs. April Fowler, who showed and taught us all about how this works. We learned about spectroscopy and how it could possibly be the most powerful tool that astronomers use.  Once you take light from a star, planet, or galaxy and pass it through a spectroscope it is a lot like a prism. It splits the light into its component colors. We also learned that spectroscopy tells you a star’s temperature, mass, and surface gravity. The students thoroughly enjoyed this experience and gained lots of new knowledge. 

Project Polaris 

Project Polaris is taking off with a BLAST! Students have found their pod members, created their team name, designed a banner, slogan, symbol, and theme song to support their mission in order to help reach "Project Polaris." Each group has to work together to complete each challenge given to them each day. The better they work and communicate, the more "Starbucks" they receive. It has been a great challenge at times, but the students are doing a great job. 

Parachute Challenge 

Our latest STEM project was a "Fairy Tale" themed cooperative learning experience. Each group received a brown bag with many items that could be used to construct a parachute. The idea came from Jack not being able to escape the giant by climbing down the bean stalk because the giant had wised up and lined the stalk with barbwire. The students had to work in small groups in order to help Jack escape the giant and return to Earth. The students did a great job and really used some creative construction while preparing their parachutes. 

A Bit About Me

Our school theme this year is "Setting the Stage for Success". With that, my 6th grade Quest students wrote an autobiography and took a move star posed picture. Each student has so many neat and awesome characteristics about themselves to share. I enjoyed seeing them be able to highlight those special events from their lives. I think their favorite part was being able to put their signature on the picture to be displayed for their peers to see.