Let’s research on mysterious material

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2023.10.20

　Good day, everyone!

　This is Anne Sibaruten , the 1st grade English teacher. I would like to share the fun and meaningful activities the 1st grade ENGLISH UOI students engaged in this week.

　After receiving a video message from NASA’s Space Material Department Director Dr. Matt, the 1st graders were tasked to learn about a newly discovered space material called ‘’Oobleck’’.

‘Work with everyone in your research team and use your 5 senses to tell me everything you need to know about this new exotic material!’, he requested. The 1st graders then got ready and marched to the Science Room to see the intriguing material from Outer Space for the first time.

　They started by merely looking at Oobleck and shared ideas with their classmates. As Inquirers, they hypothesized on how they think the substance would feel and smell prior to the experiment. Some said Oobleck looks soft and must feel like slime when held, while others thought it smells sweet and similar to rice. After brainstorming initial ideas about the material, they then proceeded to do a series of experiments on Oobleck to explain its nature and to prove or disprove their initial hypotheses.

　The Open Minded Learners, the students learned about and enjoyed Oobleck as they held the substance with their bare hands as well as played with it with marbles, mini rubber ducks and other small items. Some pressed a handful into their hands and successfully rolled it up into a ball, only for it to melt on their hands as they tried to hold it. ‘My hand sunk when I put it over it, so I thought it was like liquid!’, said one eager student. ‘But it’s so hard when I tried punching it!’, said another Risk-Taker.

　The next day, the Reflective Learners put their heads together in a group and wrote down their findings in a confidential document to be sent to NASA. The two-day Space Material Discovery Activity ended with students making a video response to Dr. Matt reporting their findings.

　They signed their documents with their official signature, hoping to ‘help guide future experiments and efforts towards space exploration.’

　The 1st grade future scientists will continue to learn about the 5 senses this term and understand the Central Idea: When you are aware of your senses, you can make discover new things!