Art, Marshmallows, and the Speed of Light at Wheaton North HS

Mr. Rob Griegoliet and Mr. Don Helberg co-teach Physics at Wheaton North High School in CUSD200. This teaching duo has a reputation for creativity and high levels of student engagement. In a recent Physics lesson, students explored the electromagnetic spectrum with hands on activities. After a flipped video lesson on the spectrum of light the night before and formative reinforcement at the beginning of class, they organized students into 3 stations. At station 1, students used marshmallows and microwaves to calculate the speed of light. At station 2, students explored radio waves with a throwable wireless microphone, visible light with Little Bits, and infrared light with a Flir camera. The final station gave students the chance to use 3D printing pens with glowing filament and highlighters to create an ultraviolet powered art gallery. A WNHS geology class contributed by loaning them radioactive samples and Geiger counters to explore gamma radiation. They disguised the samples under a giant 3D printed "radioactive" crystal.

Mr. Griegoliet and Mr. Helberg were looking for an engaging activity that would reinforce the beginning of their light unit. They earned a grant provided by the Student Excellence Foundation that funded the 3D printing equipment that made their makespace possible. The 3 stations gave them a chance to reinforce and preteach concepts with a smaller student to teacher ratio. The stations also gave students the chance to demonstrate their creative sides, let their hair down before spring break, and learn by doing.

The WWEA would like to thank Mr. Rob Griegoliet and Mr. Don Helberg for continuously engaging students in science. We are lucky to have such truly dedicated educators!