- Oct 27
Hello everyone,
It’s been an exciting couple of weeks in science! We’ve been finishing up our Astronomy Unit with hands-on experiments, creative projects, and plenty of great discussions about how motion, force, and energy connect everything in our universe. As we start a brand-new marking period, we’re shifting our focus to a fresh topic, Earth’s History & Processes, where the story moves from outer space to right here on our planet.
Where We Were
Over the past two weeks, we explored how gravity keeps our universe in motion. We focused on orbits and gravity through interactive lessons and demonstrations that helped us connect what we see in space to the physical forces that shape movement.
We also had some fun with a big “what if” question: What would happen if the Moon were smaller, larger, or closer to Earth? This writing prompt led to some amazing ideas and sparked curiosity about how gravity shapes our world. We tried a simplified Two-Object System Simulation to see how gravitational pull changes motion between objects in space. Then, students rotated through Gravity Stations to explore how gravitational force, motion, and mass interact in different ways.
Students also took part in several hands-on demonstrations. The Cart Demo showed how force and mass affect acceleration. The Projectile Motion and Penny Drop helped us visualize how gravity pulls objects while they move forward, just like planets orbiting the Sun. And of course, the Alka-Seltzer Rocket Launch was a class favorite, showing how thrust can overcome gravity to lift a rocket.
Below: Mr. Roberto (our Student Teacher) leading some of the demos.
We ended the unit with our Architect of a Solar System Project, where students became the architects of their own solar systems. They designed stars, created planets, and explained how gravity keeps everything in balance. It was such a creative and engaging way to finish our Astronomy Unit and kick off Marking Period 2.
Where We Are
Right now, students are presenting their Architect of a Solar System projects and showing what they’ve learned about motion, orbits, and gravity. Each project has been unique, and it’s been great to see how much thought and imagination went into them. Last week, we wrapped up any missing work to help everyone start this new marking period on the right track. Photos of the Architect of a Solar System project will be up on my class Instagram soon!
Where We Are Going
Next, we’re shifting our focus from the motion of planets to the motion of Earth itself as we begin our Earth’s History & Processes Unit. Our new anchoring phenomenon asks, What is causing Mt. Everest and other mountains to move, grow, or shrink?
Students will start by locating Mount Everest on a world map and reading about how it’s changing each year. They’ll look at data from other mountains around the world and compare how they’re changing like Mount Everest. Together, we’ll build models and brainstorm ideas about why these changes are happening, creating a class Driving Question Board to guide our investigations. This new unit has students start to learn and explore the forces that are deep within the planet that help us understand what’s happening right beneath our feet.
If you have any questions or want to connect further, please feel free to reach out at curtis_catwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our classroom adventures on Instagram at @classwithcatwood, where I share updates and snapshots of what we’re learning.
Stay Gold,
Mr. Catwood
