In a practical experiment designed by middle school science teacher Amanda Narkiewicz , students paired up with a classmate and explored how the Earth ’ s core shifts and moves to cause large-scale events , such as earthquakes . Simulating the movements of our planet ’ s mantle may sound complicated , requiring sophisticated gadgetry , but all it took was : two small cups , two pushpins , 1 large jug , hot water , cold water and dyes of two different colors . Though the experiment and modeling the science of nature was simple , it allowed students to grasp the dynamic complexity of scientific concepts and draw inferences that further clarified the information and knowledge they had learned .
But what does all this mean in reality ? It means that the red dye mixed in hot water that seeps out of the pushpin
hole of the small cup placed in a large jug of water not only reflects the tectonic shifts in the Earth ’ s core , but also represents , for example , “ the energy released by 100 atomic bombs , similar to the ones used in Hiroshima ,” as in the tragic case of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake said one of the grade 6 students in her end-of-unit presentation . The individual presentations were Ms . Narkiewicz ’ s way of ensuring that each of her students understood the science , and also learned how science can impact as well as help people . Each student picked a case , such as the earthquake in Chile , Haiti or Sichuan , and presented its science and social impact . It was not only a demonstration of their thorough grasp of the subject matter , but also their attempt at going beyond the science of it all and researching , thinking and communicating ways to employ scientific principles to survive .
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