RMMS Students Explore Connetquot River State Park Preserve
The North Babylon District Science Department has partnered with the Western Suffolk BOCES Outdoor Education Program to provide invaluable in the field scientific exploration and research for district students.
Working with the BOCES Outdoor Program which enhances the NYS Science Core Curriculum, eighth graders at Robert Moses Middle School recently had the opportunity to explore local ecology at the Connetquot River State Park Preserve. They learned about the local ecology as they hiked through the woods admiring the beauty of their surroundings.
The program focused on three process skills - use of microscopes, dichotomous keys, and the application of concepts related to density. The day began with an introduction to the park, with a short presentation on the history, geology and local flora and fauna. Then students split up into two groups, with half going outdoors for exploration and research and half remaining indoors to conduct investigations with pond water and microscopes,. All students participated in a density demonstration that "wowed" the group as they watched how salt and fresh water interacted.
Students obviously enjoyed the day, and teacher Charles Kalinowski commented on the experience by saying, "I thought it was a great way to explore our local ecology while covering the state curriculum.
