MESA at Campbell Middle School


Last week ended with one of the most exciting science lessons I've ever experienced!  7th and 8th grade MESA teacher, Richard Timpson, had his students literally "running on water"!  After learning about the different states of matter and their properties, Richard had his students create a mixture of cornstarch and water.  But Richard didn't just have his class mix a few boxes of cornstarch, they were filling giant tubs!

Once the substance was the right consistency, the students were challenged to figure out what type of matter it was.  Richard's students were joined by Pedro Garcia's 6th grade MESA class, all of whom were happy to join in on this scientific inquiry.  The group narrowed it down to either a solid or a liquid, but seemed in to be in slight disagreement as to which was more accurate.  Students then tried both running and standing on the substance.  They found that when they ran quickly, the substance behaved like a solid, and provided a flat surface.  But when they stood still, their feet started to sink, somewhat like quicksand.

At the end, Richard asked the students again what state of matter the substance was.  This time, some of the students were wondering if it could be both.  Richard explained that it was actually neither a liquid or a solid; it was instead a non-newtonian substance.  I commend Richard for planning such an ambitious project!  I'm sure his students will always remember the different states of matter!

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