Eighth-graders in Merrick Avenue Middle School recently took their learning outside for a special lesson in movements of the earth, a topic covered as part of the curriculum.
Working in small groups, the eighth-graders used a pencil to chart the change in the earth’s shadow over their class period. At specified time intervals, they measured the shadow’s angle with a protractor. They discovered that the shadow moves along with the sun and becomes shorter before noon.
The lesson emphasized critical points and allowed the students to better understand the motions of the sun and the earth.
“Instead of me telling them, I think it is better for the students to discover what this planet that they live on is all about,” Teacher Helen Russll said. "They can actually experiment and discover these concepts for themselves.”
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