HARRISBURG (WSIL) -- Our Storm Track 3 meteorologists traveled to Harrisburg to share their love for weather with more than 100 5th grade students at East Side Intermediate School.
The Weather Academy is a great way to share our passion for science with students across the region, but we also like to see the unique ways in which students learn about our favorite subject.
"We use Flow-cabulary in our classroom, which is an interactive rap song that goes with different subjects in science, and it seems to really stick with the kids," says fifth grade teacher Brooke Patton.
Patton says the interactive learning is helping with concepts across the entire science field. "We start out the year with the solar system, and we go through all the different planets, and the different objects that are in space."
There's a lot to learn, but teacher Chrisy Shires encourages deep learning.
"I feel like science in itself is hands on, and what better way to learn than to get involved, to do investigations, to ask questions. Questioning is very important, and then we look at that question and we think, well how can we solve that?" explains Shires.
We asked students what they're learning, and it seems to be sticking.
"We study food webs. We study the parts of a cell. We do different food webs with the dinosaur, and we always start with the plants, and we work our way up, " says Patton.
"She's trying to show us that all food chains come from plants," adds fifth grader Maikiah Yarbar.
"Then we go to the earth science, and we study the water cycle, we study the rock cycle, "explains Patton.
"I've learned that igneous rocks come from lava," says student Anthony Glenn.
"We're learning about the rock cycle, and I've learned that when ice gets in the cracks of stuff, it breaks it down," adds fifth grader Kash Foles.
Patton also encourages conversation in class to help further their understanding.
"We use like a gallon jug, and we use like a thimble, and we talk about, if we take the whole of the gallon jug, how much of the gallon is actually usable, and they're like then how do we have enough to drink?"
"As human beings we are curious, and there's always questions, and it's always good to try to find out what is the answer to those questions," says Shires.
Next week, the Weather Academy continues their adventure and travels to Eldorado to meet with students.
