Here To There and All Around – bESTology Week 8

Here to There and All Around 

Being a first responder may not be a piece of cake, but it can be as easy as Pi. This week we celebrate pi – not pie, but Pi.  International Pi Day is March 14 (3/14 or 3.14), which is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.  

First responders move rescue materials from “here to there” with the help of circles. Moving heavy equipment relies on wheels, propelling water is determined by the diameter of the hose and saving lives requires various types of tubing to deliver medical needs. These are just a few of the fire and rescue scenarios where round objects are significant.

Grab a slice of pie (Pi), let’s learn more!

References 

• Fire Hose – Wikipedia
• Glossary of Fire Equipment
• How Fire Hoses and Nozzles are Made – videos
• Pi Day – activities
• 31 Pie Recipes for Pi Day
• Pi – According to Wikipedia
• Pi Music – Sing Along
• Domino Pi – Amazing to watch
• Pi Resource for Activities
• More Pi Resources for Activities

Firestorm of Brainstorming

Take an imaginary journey with a first responder to the scene of an emergency of your choice. List all the round objects – small and large – needed to deliver materials to the site and to perform rescue operations upon arrival. Include the state of the materials (solid, liquid, gas) and how they are transferred, used or delivered. Compare and contrast the round objects at your emergency scene with others.

Fire and Rescue Journal

Great job brainstorming, now let’s look closer at a fire hose and it’s nozzle. Create a chart in your journal to compare and contrast types of hoses, couplings and nozzles used for industrial fires and forest fires. Include the following terminology:

• jacket type
• color
• pressure
• diameter
• coupling
• threads
• flow

Conclude by writing a summary of all of the “round” components of a fire hose.

Challenge: Explain why the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as many chemical companies, use brass rather than aluminum couplings on their fire hoses.

BEST Connection

Let’s examine “here to there” for your BEST robot. Explain how round objects are involved with each of the following “here to there” tasks:

• Movement – driving a distance of 10 or more feet
• Energy – battery connected to the VEX cortex
• Distance – Arm extending 3’ or greater
• Power – Motor connected to the VEX cortex
• Lift – from the ground upwards using a pulley system

Remember, it’s Pi Week – include the significance of Pi in each situation.  Don’t forget Einstein, he has some great theories!

Community Connection

As first responders serve communities across our nation, it’s time for us to serve our first responders pie (Pi). Identify first responders within a 3.14-mile radius of your school and create a plan to deliver pies and thank you cards on International Pi Day 3.14.17. Capture photos of your team baking and delivering pies. Post the photos in your team’s exhibit booth and label as an outreach activity. (This is a great activity even if it is not Pi Day!)

Hint: Share information about BEST with the first responders and invite them to Game Day 2017.

Hot Topic in the News: Navy unveils firefighting robot.

A Burning Question for a Firefighter: What is a water curtain and does it protect the firefighter?

(We encourage teams to contact a local firefighter and ask this question. Record the answer in your journal) 

Bloom’s Taxonomy: brainstorm, capture, chart, compare, conclude, contrast, create, examine, explain, identify, include, list, post, share, summarize, write

Workforce Skills: reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, writing, service orientation, mathematics, equipment analysis, science

 Download a PDF copy of bESTology Week 8 – Click HERE

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