Students spin science into natural phenomenon at Madison elementary

MADISON – An empty Coke bottle transformed into a miniature tornado for Madison Elementary School students.

Branwen Apqwilym sets a vortex in motion in Bonnie Howard’s class at Madison Elementary School. (CONTRIBUTED)

“We’re busy with hands-on science experiments at Madison elementary,” assistant principal Britt Lovelace said. “Exciting things are happening in Room 50.”

Room 50 is home to Bonnie Howard’s sixth-grade science and social studies classes. They studied water vortexes in “Catastrophic Events,” a unit with the Alabama Math Science Technology Initiative (AMSTI).

To make “two-liter vortexes,” Howard’s students used dry soft-drink bottles with wrappers removed. They filled each bottle two-thirds full with water and then added glitter and beads. Finally, they connected the bottles with plastic connectors, Howard said.

“Spinning the bottle in a circular motion creates a water vortex that looks like a miniature tornado,” Howard said. Centripetal force (inward force directing a fluid towards the center) forces the water to spin rapidly. Vortexes in nature include tornadoes, hurricanes and waterspouts.

Gabriel Thomas observes a water vortex forming in a coke-bottle laboratory. (CONTRIBUTED)

In nature, “gravity’s effect, uneven heating of the earth’s surfaces and the earth’s rotation can all set air in motion,” Howard said. “In our models … gravity pulled the water through the opening and air through the center of the swirling water.”

“Unfortunately, students in this area are all too familiar with tornadoes. They’re intrinsically motivated to understanding the science behind tornado and hurricane formation,” Howard said. “When we set the first vortex in motion, excitement in the room was palpable. ”

The class collaborated on a consensus definition of vortex: “movement of a liquid or gas in a spiral around a central axis.”

“Cool” and “awesome” were typical student comments. Student Abby Jones said “I’m having fun and learning at the same time.” Kilen Erskine said, “(The vortex) looks like a mini-me of a tornado.”

With the “hands-on discovery approach,” Howard’s students “took ownership for their own learning while having fun. Students develop 21st-century skills by collaborating and communicating with each other to develop thought-provoking questions that originate from their own ideas — not from a textbook,” Howard said.

Howard’s students also have studied earthquakes, volcanoes, erosion, farming, mining and greenhouse gases.