Horizon eyed the sky during Space Week

MADISON – Each day during the week of May 8, students engaged in special activities, experiments and discussions at each grade level at Horizon Elementary School.

Woodmen of the World Insurance Agency provided their planetarium so each class had a chance to immerse themselves in an imaginative visit to outer space. During lunch break, Horizon students had a chance to view into the sky with solar telescopes, coordinator Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Bero said. Bero works as Gifted Specialist at Horizon.

On May 8, Horizon fifth-grade teacher Tesa Hernandez served as featured speaker. Another speaker, Dr. Ruth Jones from Marshall Space Flight Center talked to students about possible careers at NASA.

Sixth-grade science teacher Amara Alexander assisted her students in testing ablative shields that they had constructed. Students designed the shields to protect an egg from damage by a heat source. The simulation showed the work of scientists to protect astronauts from dangerous heat levels during re-entry to earth’s atmosphere.

Horizon students used their imagination for “Patriotic Colors Day” and “Dress Like a Space Scientist Day.” NASA presenter Melissa Van Dyke kept imaginations whirling with her talk, “Going to Mars.” Mitzi Adams from NASA also spoke.

Also spurring their imaginations, Horizon teachers used common, household objects to conduct experiments and to mock up aerospace equipment. Lara Baswell used film canisters for kindergartners to have imitation space shuttles. Emily Cheek helped students make constellation models and ‘straw rockets.’

An ‘explosive’ experiment involved Mentos mints and Coca-Cola, coordinated by Christy McGuire. Traci Bruce and Beth Nickols guided students on a retro trip with old-school paper airplanes.

On May 11, members of Huntsville Area Rocketry Association visited the campus to launch rockets as students gathered on the soccer field to observe the long-range blast-offs and landings back on earth. For kindergarten students, Bero’s students designed a built a model version of a space vehicle for the youngsters to explore during Space Week.