Messy Discoveries

Investigate Earth Science with Messy Experiments

 

Ready to get messy in the name of science? We will design things, test things, throw things and stomp on things while exploring fascinating phenomena in Earth science. 

Students will conduct messy and noisy experiments as they investigate glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, permafrost, sea level rise and tsunamis. We will make slime-like “flubber” to model glacier movement and create a landscape in a box to simulate the destructive power of earthquakes and tsunamis. Students will also observe lava flow in a volcano fueled by baking soda and vinegar. These and other fun, hands-on experiments provide an engaging introduction to geology, seismology, oceanography and other branches of Earth science.

What You Will Learn

Learn about glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes and other Earth science phenomena through messy experiments.

• Gain a basic understanding of a variety of phenomena in Earth science.
• Model the movement of a glacier using “flubber.”
• Use water and ice to simulate ice-ocean interactions.
• Create a landscape in a box and then model the effects of earthquakes and tsunamis.
• Observe a model volcano during an eruption caused by combining baking soda and vinegar.
• Learn about the forces that cause landslides.
• Investigate how sea level rise affects salinity.

Return to the Sally Ride Science Junior Academy website here.

Note: Upon successful enrollment of a section, students will receive a confirmation email from our Student Services team. This email will include a link to an authorization form that is required to be completed within 72-hours of enrollment. 

In response to COVID-19 health guidelines, we have restructured our in-person Junior Academy workshops as online courses. Contact us at srs@ucsd.edu if you have questions.

Course Number: SIO-90028
Credit: 1.50 unit(s)

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8/2/2021 - 8/6/2021

$175

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• SECTION ID:

  156364

• CLASS TYPE:

  Synchronous web-based class meetings that are scheduled to meet online at published times (time/date).

• INSTRUCTOR:
  

  Carter, Sasha, BS in Earth Science, PhD in Geological Science

  Dr. Sasha Peter Carter (he/his/him) joined Sally Ride Science Junior Academy in 2016 to create the kinds of science classes he always wished existed – classes that emphasize direct, hands-on interactions with physical science phenomena; classes that get students doing science in the first 15 minutes; classes that foster a collaborative learning community; classes that put students in the driver's seat and give them ownership over their discoveries. His Junior Academy instruction began with Messy Science in 2016 and now includes five different workshops. Sasha brings to the classroom eight years of post-doctoral research in Antarctic water systems and more than five years of teaching students of all ages. When he's not working for Sally Ride Science, he’s teaching Ea...Read More

• TEXTBOOKS:

  No textbook required.

• POLICIES:

  1st meeting mandatory.
  Early enrollment advised.
  No UCSD parking permit required.
  No visitors permitted.
  Pre-enrollment required.
  No refunds after: 7/26/2021.
  

• NOTE:

  Grade Level: 3rd-5th. Instructor will contact students 24-hours in advance of class with Zoom information. Students have the option of logging on to Zoom from 9-9:30am to have office hours with the instructor. In addition, students have the option of staying on Zoom after class ends from 11am-12pm for additional support. Supply List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tGiVYm8nd5OR-KG9odj4JXxQDWR12ovy3bfF2oa0zIM/edit?usp=sharing

DATE	DAY	START	END	LOCATION
8/2/2021	Mon	9:30 a.m.	11:00 a.m.
8/3/2021	Tue	9:30 a.m.	11:00 a.m.
8/4/2021	Wed	9:30 a.m.	11:00 a.m.
8/5/2021	Thu	9:30 a.m.	11:00 a.m.
8/6/2021	Fri	9:30 a.m.	11:00 a.m.