Gretchen Brinza
Email me!
  • Home
  • About Me
  • School
    • Louisville Middle School >
      • 2021-2022 >
        • 6th Grade: Contact Forces/Collisions!
        • 8th: Patterns in Space and Sky
        • 6th: Bath Bombs
        • 8th: Climate--The Warming Arctic
        • 8th: Hail, Rain & Snow
        • 6th: Cups
        • 8th: Tsunami-Natural Hazards
        • 6th: One-Way Mirror
        • 8th: Mt. Everest & Other Mtns
    • Sauganash >
      • 2020-2021 >
        • 5th Grade >
          • Data in Science
          • Human Impact (+/-)
          • The Dead Raccoon
          • Clean/Dirty Water
          • Opening Routines
        • 6th Grade >
          • Healing
          • A Changing Landscape
          • Keeping Things Hot or Cold!?!?!
          • One-Way Mirror
          • Dogs (Well and Unwell)!
          • Opening Routines
      • 2019-2020 >
        • 5th Grade >
          • The Sky
          • Dead Raccoon
          • All Things Water!
        • 6th Grade >
          • Sick Dog
          • Mt. Everest
          • Cups
    • Alcott >
      • 2018-2019 >
        • 5th Grade >
          • Patterns in the Sky
          • Roadkill--Dead Stuff
          • Down the Drain...
        • 6th Grade >
          • Chickens!
          • Sounds From a Distance
          • Sick Dogs
          • Spooky ________!
      • 2017-2018 >
        • 5th Grade >
          • The Mystery Sun
          • Roadkill
          • Clean/Dirty Water
        • 6th Grade >
          • Changing Populations
          • Smelling Lots of Stuff
          • Seeing and Light
      • 2016-2017 >
        • 6th Grade >
          • Can I Believe My Eyes?
          • How Can I Smell Things From a Distance?
          • Where Have All the Creatures Gone?
        • 5th Grade >
          • Unknown Chemicals' Identities?
          • Data
          • Water Transformations
          • The Raccoon Mystery
        • Technology Integration
      • 2015-2016 >
        • 5th Grade >
          • Opening Procedures
          • Chemical Tests
          • Earth's Systems Science
          • Data (Moon, Daylight, Temp., Constellations)
          • Ships in a Field
          • Patterns
        • 6th Grade >
          • Opening Procedures
          • World of Wonder Projects
          • Can I Believe My Eyes?
          • How Can I Smell From a Distance?
          • Where Have All the Creatures Gone?
    • STEM Magnet Academy >
      • A Glimpse Into My Classroom
      • Fifth Grade >
        • 5th Grade: 2013-2014 >
          • Environmental Engineering (Part II)
          • Aerospace Engineering
      • Fourth Grade >
        • 4th Grade: 2014-2015 >
          • Environmental Engineering
          • Waves and their Applications for Information Transfer
        • 4th Grade: 2013-2014 >
          • Environmental Engineering
          • Transportation Engineering
          • Biomedical Engineering
        • 4th Grade: 2012-2013 >
          • Environmental Engineering
          • Transportation Engineering
          • Biomedical Engineering
      • Third Grade >
        • 3rd Grade: 2014-2015 >
          • Forces and Interactions
        • 3rd Grade: 2013-2014 >
          • Electrical Engineering
          • Acoustical Engineering
          • Optical Engineering
        • 3rd Grade: 2012-2013 >
          • Acoustical Engineering
          • Electrical Engineering
          • Optical Engineering
      • Second Grade >
        • 2nd Grade: 2014-2015 >
          • Geotechnical Engineering
          • Matter and Its Interactions!
        • 2nd Grade: 2012-2013 >
          • Geotechnical Engineering
          • Ocean Engineering
          • Packaging Engineering
        • 2nd Grade: 2013-2014 >
          • Geotechnical Engineering
          • Civil Engineering
          • Ocean Engineering
      • First Grade >
        • 1st Grade: 2014-2015 >
          • Optical Engineering
          • Sound
          • Plants--Structures and Processes
        • 1st Grade: 2013-2014 >
          • Materials Engineering
          • Mechanical Engineering
          • Agricultural Engineering
        • 1st Grade: 2012-2013 >
          • Mechanical Engineering
          • Materials Engineering
          • Agricultural Engineering
      • Kindergarten >
        • Engineers do what?
        • Forces and Interactions!
        • Earth and Human Activity
        • K: 2013-2014 >
          • Introduction to Engineering
          • Force and Motion
          • Fabric
        • K: 2012-2013 >
          • Introduction to Engineering
          • All About Fabric
          • Built By Nature
        • Check it out! >
          • Exciting News
          • National Engineers Week
          • Donations
          • Chicago Events
  • PAEMST
  • Other
    • STEM FAIR 2019
    • STEM Fair 2018
    • Tech-Class
    • Engineering Week
    • G.D.W.O.F.
    • MSU Urban STEM >
      • Summer Work >
        • Ultimate STEM
        • ImagineIT >
          • Phase 1
          • Phase 2
          • Phase 3
        • Deep Play
        • Quickfires
        • Reflections >
          • Summer
        • Cosmos
      • Fall Work >
        • Deep Play Group
        • ImagineIT >
          • Phase 4
          • Phase 5
          • Phase 6
      • Spring Work >
        • Leadership
        • ImagineIT

Explaining Our Hidden Messages...Initial Models

12/17/2015

 
How can we explain the phenomena of seeing a hidden message?  What exactly is happening with the white light and each filter that is placed in front of it?  How is each color that's on the notecard interacting with the filtered light?  How does each color appear to us with the filtered light?  Here are the 6th graders' initial models to explain this phenomenon.  We'll be revising our models as we discuss the scientific principles in them! ​

Connections to the Museum of Science and Industry

12/16/2015

 
Last week, we ventured to the Museum of Science and Industry to connect our learning to exhibits they have there.  Two exhibits in particular, the Numbers in Nature Mirror Maze and Science Storms' Color Room directly connected to what we've been doing in class.  Check out the photos below to see two phenomena in action:

1.  Light reflecting off of mirrors!
2. Colored signs being manipulated by illuminating different colored light on them.

Creating Hidden Messages

12/15/2015

 
How can we take what we know about how light travels, interacts with different materials, and plays a role with color to design our OWN optical illusions, the very concept that began our unit on if we could believe what we see?

Students just began creating their own hidden messages, using notecards, markers, and different colored filters.  We'll be using what we've learned about developing models for how we see, how light interacts with different materials, and how light plays a role in the color that appears to our eyes.  Check back soon to see how student groups develop models to explain their hidden messages.
​

How does the color of an object relate to the color of light it scatters?

12/10/2015

 
Picture
Why do we see color?  How does it relate to the color of light that scatters off an object AND the actual color of the object itself?  Students know that red, blue, and green light combine to make white light, but what is white light comprised of?

Using C-Spectra (a diffraction grating alternative), students were able to gather evidence to see that white light is comprised of many colors, which are identified as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  From there, students connected their ideas to the light model for how we see.  In order to see something that's yellow, yellow light must reflect into our eyes.  But what happens to all the other colors?

Check out some students' work who continued to revise their models for how we see.  Great work 6th grade!

 

Simulations Do Wonders...

12/6/2015

 
Sixth graders are focusing on an important aspect of how we see.  How does light play a role in seeing color?  Beyond classroom activities, students used two online simulations to continue to gather evidence for how they see color.  The first simulation, Color and Vision, by pHet out of the University of Colorado, shows the effects of placing red, green, and blue in various levels over one another. The second one, Mix 'N Match out of the Exploratorium, shows the same thing but in a different, more quantitative way.  Check out each of them!  Just know you can't use Mix 'N Match in Chrome.

Mixing Colors of Light!

12/3/2015

 

Adding Multiple Sources of Light

Adding a Red Filter

Combining Red, Blue, and Green Light

What else can light do besides reflect/scatter and transmit?

12/2/2015

 
Picture
Can light do anything else besides scatter/reflect or transmit?  Sixth graders looked for evidence as they helped design an experiment involving light and two types of water (clear and dyed).  Using the light meter, students measured the amount of light that reflected and transmitted.  What did they discover?

That even though the light emitted from the light bulb was the same going towards each water source (we controlled the distance from the light bulb and centered the beakers under the light), the amount of light transmitted through each beaker was different...vastly different!

So what does that mean?  Light must do something else.  Our conclusion--light can also be absorbed.  And when it's absorbed, it can also make something happen, like increase the temperature.  In both the clear and dyed water, students noticed an increase in temperature.

As a result of this experiment, our consensus model has been revised yet again...this time to include how light can reflect/scatter, transmit, or absorb.  Great work 6th grade!

    Mrs. Brinza


    My eyes are always fooled by the mirrors in a Fun House.  I can never take myself so seriously when I look at my reflection in them!  

    OKGO's The Writing's On the Wall Video
    Can you find the illusions in the video?

    OKGO's Newest Video:  Upside Down and Inside Out

    Amazing Optical Illusions
    ​
    (with the ability to change variables in them!)

    Color and Vision
    How is it that we see color?

    Mix and Match Color
    (Must use Internet Explorer)
    ​

    Archives

    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly