Mrs. Roudis's middle school social studies class is studying current events happening around the world. Each new unit allows students to interact with the content through activities that expand their vocabulary and knowledge on the subject matter.
Students have been learning about The Atlantic Balloon Fiesta that takes place in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada. Through this unit, students learned about the history of hot air balloons, what makes a hot air balloon fly and the different types of hot air balloons.
“We tried an experiment using a grocery bag and blow dryer. By heating the air inside the bag to a degree hotter than the air of the classroom, the bag should float for a few seconds before deflating,” Mrs. Roudis said.
Unfortunately, the experiment failed the first time and they had to regroup. Instead of a grocery bag, they decided that produce bags would work better because they are more slender and don't have big holes for handles. They also added a cone shape made from a paper plate to the blowdryer to allow the heat to flow more evenly and prevent their hands from getting too hot.
This worked and taught Mrs. Roudis's students that sometimes science experiments require an adjustment to the way they think. To add to the lesson, each student made a hot air balloon out of humus, peppers and crackers for a snack to end the unit.