The Tides Are Always Changing

For next the three weeks, Mazel students will be learning about the planetary forces between the Sun, Moon, and Earth and how they impact our tidal pattern and our lunar calendar. Third and fourth graders built a paper model of the tidal bulge while the fifth and sixth graders built a 3D representation. Tidal bulges occur on opposite sides of the earth because of the difference in the strength of the gravitational attraction on either side of the earth. During this session, Mazel students understand that the interaction of these three celestial bodies create two high tides and two low tides which change every six hours of the day. 

These students formulated questions such as "what causes tides to change and how did the tide make the impact of Hurricane Sandy more devastating?" They learned that twice a month there is an exceptionally hide tide called spring tides which happened the same time Hurricane Sandy hit our coasts. Thus, making the impact of Hurricane Sandy even worse. By learning about tides and the lunar calendar, students now understand the effect planetary forces have on natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.