At Springville Middle School, teachers belong to academic teams consisting of Social Studies, English, Math, Science and Foreign Language teachers. Everyday each team of teachers has an enrichment period where students are able to choose an activity or project that interests them. The projects are related to the curriculum being studied but are not graded. SGI teachers often describe enrichment as “things you always wanted to try but didn’t have time to during a regular class period.” The stratosphere balloon project was offered as an enrichment project and over 40 students, nearly half of the academic team, volunteered to participate.

Students worked in groups, each responsible for a different aspect of the project. They researched GPS software and used a balloon trajectory program that utilized Google Maps to determine the best launch day. A Canon camera was programmed with software which allowed it to automatically take a photograph every six seconds. A pre-paid cell phone with GPS locating capability was programmed and tested by students to locate the capsule after it landed. Other students were responsible for documenting the process and creating a mini-movie of the entire project.

Students had to complete numerous experiments on several test capsules before a final version was constructed.  The capsule group was responsible for fabricating the container that would be used to launch the camera. A disposable foam cooler was used and students experimented with several different ways of bracing the camera inside the cooler. Students tried tape, zip ties, glue, and finally settled on foam which best stabilized the camera. It was sprayed into the capsule and then cut out to fit the camera using a model knife. Another challenge was that the cord connecting the capsule to the balloon cut the foam cooler. After several different ideas were tested, students decided to use plastic tubes made from disposable pens as a liner to prevent the nylon cord from damaging the capsule. Before a final version was made, the test capsule, containing eggs, was dropped off the school roof to ensure the parachute size was adequate and that the cord sufficiently supported the capsule.

Launch day was met with great excitement. The Federal Aviation Administration was contacted for project approval and Buffalo Airport Air Traffic Control was called the morning of the launch. Over 400 students watched as the balloon was inflated to a 5’ diameter and the capsule was attached. After a lively countdown, the balloon was launched to cheers and genuine excitement. One student, Dan commented "as the balloon was launched I thought- this was the best project ever.  I knew it was going to be a success as it went higher and higher.  It was amazing."   The capsule was in the air for three hours and landed in a soybean field 50 miles from Springville in Byron, New York. It ascended approximately 17 miles until the balloon burst as a result of the pressure in the stratosphere.   The capsule’s precise location was transmitted to the chase team immediately after it landed and it was found soon after. There was no damage to any of the equipment and the camera was still taking photographs when it was found!

The launch was a huge success, obtaining over 2,100 photographs of the flight. Many of the photographs show local geographic features like Lake Erie while others show the blackness of space and the curvature of the earth.

Students were exposed to an amazing wealth of experiences through this project. They learned about space, geography, teamwork, the scientific method, and devised creative solutions to challenges confronted. As educators, you never really know the long-term impact you are going to have; who knows -some of these students might one day be inspired to become pilots, engineers, or astronauts because of this project.

~ Joseph Karb, Social Studies Eight

Jkarb@springvillegi.org