1. Application of a Solar Balloon Activity in a Course for Pre-Service Elementary Education Teachers Kaye Smith, Ph.D. Engineer Natasha Yates, M.A. STEM Education S TRATOSPHERIC B ALLOONING A SSOCIATION D E P AUL U NIVERSITY – C HICAGO, IL J UNE 24-26, 2015

2. Hands-on Iterative Inquiry based Project work supports physics concepts Easily replicated in elementary and middle school classrooms H OW W E T EACH E NGINEERING TO P RE - S ERVICE E LEMENTARY E DUCATION M AJORS 2 2

3. Scaffolding Instruction Problem Solving Enables students to solve a problem, carry out a task or achieve a goal with instructors as facilitators of student mastering content. Image from: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/proflearn/pages/velszopds56.aspxhttp://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/proflearn/pages/velszopds56.aspx Graph: Zone of proximal development: Vygotsky 3

4. 1. Engage students with Discrepant Event: An event where the unexpected happens, their predictions will be wrong, they will wonder what is causing the phenomena Archimedes’ Principle Fluids Unit - Engage Students Then Challenge 4 4. Build and Test a hydrometer, or density measuring device 2. Define: Density, Pressure, Buoyancy 3. Create and explain Clay Boats

5. Apply Knowledge Previous Knowledge from the class Real Life Problem to solve: Read http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date =19940725&slug=1922123 http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date =19940725&slug=1922123 U.S. Food Drop Misses Mark For Rwanda Refugees -- Pallets Land Off Target, Spill Assignment = – Parachute Egg Drop Included practice with Engineering Design Process 5

6. I [student] am standing on second floor of the back of my house dropping the parachute. The assignment was the Safe Landing. Parachute made out of black plastic garbage bag and load was an egg. Parachute dimension was 30in 2. Mass of payload 55 grams. Coefficient of drag was 1.48 6 After students succeed in designing, creating and dropping their eggs we move on to content related to high altitude ballooning.

7. Egg Drop Parachute 7

8. High Altitude Ballooning 8

9. Challenges 9

10. Erick the Superhero 10

11. Experiments 11

12. HAB Balloon Retrieval 12

13. Student Feedback Although students enjoyed the activity, the equipment and knowledge threshold is too high for these students to use HAB activities in their own future elementary education classrooms. 13 Images from: http://www.diyspaceexploration.com/introduction-to-high-altitude-balloons/ http://www.diyspaceexploration.com/introduction-to-high-altitude-balloons/http://www.diyspaceexploration.com/introduction-to-high-altitude-balloons/ http://themuseumschool.blogspot.com/

14. Solar Balloons 14

15. Solar Balloon Making a solar balloon out of 9 garbage bags (7ft tetroon) With the requirement that it fly for 15 seconds with an egg Shortly after this photo was captured, the gigantic balloon snapped its line and disappeared. Many damages had to be repaired before our next flying attempt. 15 Students did internet research to learn about and write a two page essay on Solar Balloons.

16. Clear Project Expectations 16

17. Fluids Solar Balloon Project. I [student] is inflating balloon with hot air from a hair dryer. The maximum payload weight of balloon with the payload (one egg) was 308.35 grams. Volume of air inside balloon 2.29m 3. Balloon remained aloft for the required 15 seconds. Needed a day full of sunshine and cool temps @ 54 degrees. 17

18. Limitations 18

19. In Conclusion 19

20. Acknowledgments Funding to support ballooning applications at St. Catherine University has been provided by the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium and through internal funds at St. Catherine University Solar Balloon A NY Q UESTIONS ? 20