Imagine climbing through a 60-foot tunnel, carefully avoiding contact with stalactites. Or scaling a vertical caving tower. Or learning about cave rescue, dependent on a cave rescue phone for communication. CaveSim, an educational experience that brings realistic mobile caves to schools around the country, offered these hands-on lessons at Jackson Academy last week. Stations that incorporated science, conservation, physics, math, history, and other subjects captivated and energized students and gave them new perspectives.
The 26-foot CaveSim trailer held an incredible cave inside. As students explored the cave, they worked to earn a good score, based in part on how careful they were to avoid touching stalactites. The cave trailer is just one of several CaveSim station rotations.
The slime mold growing class simulated the behavior of mold found within caves. Although the team utilized a non-toxic slime mold not found in caves, similar growth behaviors were observed. Students experienced how the single-cell mold grows from being fed or shrinks from being inhibited, such as with salt.
Another station allowed students to practice creating an environment for the growth of stalagmites and stalactites. These protrusions are seen on the roofs and floors of caves. Sugar, food coloring, vinegar, cups, strings, and paper clips were among the materials needed for this experiment. Pairs or trios of students experimented until conditions were just right to form stalagmites on the strings.
A third station demonstrated how electricity, water, and sound interact in cave exploration. Students learned how cavers utilize electricity when exploring in the darkness. They saw what sound waves look like on a monitor and how these waves change in varying conditions. An experiment simulated how water affects sound. Students practiced a rudimentary communication system by making phones with cups and strings.
The engaging CaveSim experience gave JA Middle School students insight into how the principles they are learning in the classroom are being used in the real world.
