Holmes Students Learn About Waves in the Hallways

Holmes 8th Grade Science students reently started a Unit on Waves.  Some may remember the crests, troughs, and the amplitude from their own learning experiences. Holmes students got to that knowledge into the 21st Century, by studying the waves in the hallways and the rest of the school. 

Science teachers Mrs. Lauritsen, Mr. Hartman, and Mr. Welter, all sent their students into the hallway and other classrooms to track and map the wifi in Holmes Jr. High.  

Students used an iPad app along with a map of the school and identified areas that had stronger wifi signals compared to areas that had weaker ones. Students were tasked with identifying why one area might be weaker than another.

"Students created a plan to map the wifi signal strength throughout the school and then determined if there were any materials in the locations with a weak signal that might be blocking the signal.  Before we set off, we learned of the materials that might be a factor so we had an idea of what to look for when testing.  While testing the students found a couple of locations that, because of multiple appliances or machinery, lots of usages, and/or building material like glass and concrete, had some lower wifi levels," said Mrs. Lauritsen. 

Holmes students found that, overall, the signal at Holmes is consistently strong for the most part. Mrs. Lauritsen was especially excited about the students' experience in planning an investigation, conducting it, and then analyzing that data in a real-world scenario.