Science Program Hosts District's 5th Graders
The Science Program hosted an unprecedented number of students at the high school, accommodating every 5th grade students from all five elementary schools in the district . John Jaeger, AP Biology/Science Research Teacher, and Renee Bandes, AP Environmental Science/Earth Science Teacher, worked tirelessly to prepare their junior and senior students to lead the district’s fifth grade students in engaging science experiments in a real high school science laboratory classroom.
Those students who visited Mr. Jaeger’s AP Biology classes learned the differences between monomers and polymers by creating beaded necklaces and silly putty and they simulated volcanic eruptions, experimenting with various combinations of baking soda and vinegar to see who had the biggest explosion.
Ms. Bandes described the activities in her AP Environmental Science class by saying, "We made a solid-liquid substance using cornstarch and water, an artesian diver out of a pen cap, clay and water bottle, mini volcanoes using vinegar and baking soda, silly putty using glue and liquid starch and we performed balloon races using string, balloons and straws."
One of Ms. Capo’s students from Belmont summed up the event by saying, "The high school students and the experiments were awesome." Likewise, the high school students found it interesting and fun to work with the elementary students who were so full of energy and enthusiasm.
