RMMS Students Participate in Marine Science Program
Eleven 8th grade students from Robert Moses Middle School were privileged to participate in a NYSED grant-funded program through the New York Institute of Technology Central Islip campus in cooperation with Western Suffolk BOCES Outdoor Environmental Education Program called STEP. These eleven students participated in an after school marine science program once a week for 12 weeks learning about the scientific method by observing mud snail and pond organisms, as well as the coloration and anatomy of a fish. Among other activities, they performed virtual and real dissections of a fish and a shark, learned about echinoderms and invertebrates through dissection, and compared the anatomy of fish to pigs by looking at various internal organisms. In addition, they learned about chemistry and organic compounds, built molecular models, and did some virtual labs on DNA and Gel Electrophoresis. They also had a guest lecturer talk to them about a ship wreck and they helped figure out what each artifact meant. Overall, the students were exposed to marine biology, genetics, and chemistry to cover the different academic backgrounds that they were learning in school. It was an invaluable experience that enhanced their interest in the sciences.