Analysing hot air

16/09/08 (Tuesday)

a) Poem: Down below.
* They analysed the hot air balloon lantern which I brought (as promised yesterday). It’s amusing that some even sniffed it…haaaa!
* As they recited the poem, they imagined that the hot air balloon lantern is the real one.
* Then, they had to explain the meaning.
Each tree looks as small
as a weed in the grass,
down below, down below.
Each river is just
Like a silver of glass,
Down below, down below.
Beneath my balloon,
I can swing, I can fly!
I can fly, see me fly!

b) Questions, questions, questions!
T : Can we fly?
Class : No!
T : Why can’t we fly?
ZY : We don’t have wings.
ZJ : We don’t have feathers.
JN : W are big and heavy.
Max : We don’t have fire.
T : Let’s jump. Why are falling down again?
ZYg : Because of gravity!
T : Why do we want to fly?
Class : To travel……to carry things.
T : Name the things that can fly.
M : balloons JS : rocket. J : jet. ZY : birds.
SC : insects. ZJ : bubbles. YZ : kite JN : fairy
WY : aeroplane JS : Ultraman JH : hot air balloon
* Then we analysed how each of these fly. Some use wind, some use fire while some use engine.
They chose to start the lesson with hot air balloon.

c) Storybook : The Montgolfiers’ brothers.
* The Wright brothers who earlier manufactured bicycles were the first flight inventor.
* However, the Montgolfiers’ brothers were the balloons inventors.
* Joseph first witnessed how his clothes hung above the burning fire were flying. The hot air would inflate a balloon. So, they made a big bag and inflated it using the burning fire. It flew into the sky. Later, people modified using gas. The hot air balloons were first invented to transport animals. Today, they could transport people. It could also be used in sports activities and entertainment.

d) Experiment and Analysing.
* Eugene and ZJ blew a balloon. Everyone bounced it. They then watched how I release the balloon. They laughed!
T : is air powerful?
Class : Yes!
T : Why hot air enables balloon to fly?
Class : quiet.
* We did an experiment. We use a lighted candle. Then, I cut a spiral paper. I placed the spiral paper above the candle. The children could see how the spiral paper turned around.
* They gave me a box. I cut a small hole and placed the candle in the box. This time, the fire was more focused at a spot. The kids were able to see how the spiral paper spun faster.
T : Be careful not to do this experiment alone. If need to, do with an adult.
* The kids took turn to hold the spiral paper above the fire. However, during JS’s turn, the paper caught fire. Of course, the kids panicked and I quickly tried putting out the little fire. They learnt that hot air is lighter and so it could fly!
T : Is hot air balloon dangerous?
M : Yes.
T : Sometimes when you don’t know how to handle it. What other energy sources can be sued besides candle?
SC : The kitchen cooking smoke.
ZY : Mosquito coil.
Max : Cigarette.
YW : A hair dryer.
T : Asked your parents on ideas to make a hot air balloon.