Sand Sleuth Activity Station
| Objective: Given four different sand samples of known origins, the students will be able to determine the origin of an unknown sand sample. |
During World War II, the Japanese developed bombs designed to irritate and frighten citizens along the west coast of the United States. These small, fire-starting bombs were delivered to targets by balloons made of paper. An estimated 9,000 were launched from Japan and carried aloft by the high winds of the jet stream, which brought them ultimately to the west coast. By the time they arrived, the balloons, weighted with sandbags, descended enough to encounter trees or houses, explode, and start fires. One bomb started a forest fire and another landed undetonated in Oregon and was accidentally set off by picnickers, killing five people.
In all, about 1000 balloons found their way to the west coast of North America. Several came to land gently without exploding, leaving materials for us to examine. Sand from the sandbags was immediately sent to the US Geological Service for analysis. Spy flights indicated suspicious activity on four beaches in Japan. Geologists provided a description of the sands from each of the beaches. If they could figure out which beach the sandbags were coming from, US forces could put a stop to the launching of balloon bombs. You can help identify the beach from which the bombs were launched.
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Read the description of the beach sands from the US Geological Service office. |
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Visually compare the four sand samples from the suspected Japanese beaches with a sample of sand from the sandbags. (You might suggest that the students use the magnet provided to further examine the sand samples.) |
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Pick the beach samples that look the most like the sandbag sample and look at them using the microscope. |
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Inquiry Question: Why did you choose these sample to look at under the microscope? What is it that makes these samples similar to the sandbag sample? |
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Which beach do you think the bombs were launched from? Read the descriptions from the US Geological Service reports found on the wall to see if you are correct. |
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Find the beach on the map on the wall. |
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Last Update:
February 24, 2004
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