Teaching Guide: Hertha Ayrton and the Seashore Waves
Students will read a real paper that was submitted to the Royal Society by Hertha Ayrton in 1911 and will learn about the connection between science and the development of technology.
Ripples caused by waves on a beach Public Domain
Students will learn about Hertha Ayrton’s work through reading part of her paper on the formation of ripples in the sand due to wave action on the shore, and watch a video of a modern day ripple tank creating ripples of various sizes different ways. Students will then come up with their own questions, along with experiments to answer them.
Grade level(s): 6-8, 9-12
Guide subjects: Earth Science, History, Physics
Minority Group(s): Women
In-class time: 45-75 minutes
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Technology Requirements: Student web access required, Audio not required, Audio/Video required
Common Core Standards: History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects
Next Generation Science Standards: Earth and Space Sciences, Earth’s Systems, Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science, Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science and Society, Physical sciences, Motion and Stability: Forces and Interaction
