Welcome Back, Young Scientists!

I can't believe we have been back in school for almost a month already! It took me a couple weeks to accept that summer was over. I shouldn't complain though, I spent my time teaching outdoor day camps, visiting the beaches of Maine and hiking some daring heights at Zion National Park.










Curious minds are abuzz in the Science Lab, and what better way to start off the year but for students to ask their most burning science questions? Check out the wall outside of the Lab for a taste of what students are curious about. We'll try to answer some of those questions during the school year.

Our first round of lab sessions focused on the scientific method. I chose a simple theme that everyone had experience with - paper towels. I wanted to show that scientific process can help us answer many types of questions, even those about ordinary, everyday things.

So we designed an experiment to test how much liquid a school paper towel absorbs versus a Scott brand paper towel. I was impressed with the students' ingenuity when it came to methods. In order to be fair across the board though, each class tested the paper towels using the same method. Upper grades performed the experiments in groups, providing a lot of data to look at. Here are the results:

Tests performed: 93
School paper towels absorbed more in 11 tests
Scott brand paper towels absorbed more in 68 tests
Both towels absorbed the same amount in 14 tests

Our school wide conclusion is that Scott brand paper towels absorb more liquid. Maybe I should stock up for all those upcoming experiments, they're "kid-tested" and kid-approved!

Teacher Survey

At the conclusion of the 2008-09 school year, Ford teachers completed a survey about the first few months of the Science Lab. Teachers were given ten statements to respond to on a scale of 1-5 (strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree). Here are the results in percentages:

1. My students learned from and enjoyed their Science Lab sessions.
91% strongly agree, 9% agree

2. The activities in Lab were complementary to the science content that I teach in the classroom.

88% strongly agree, 12% agree

3. I feel the activities met both the content and characteristic standards of the Georiga Performance Standards.
94% strongly agree, 6% agree

4. The activities were hands on and engaging.
94% strongly agree, 6% agree

5. The activities met my expectations for a Science Lab.
91% strongly agree, 9% agree

6. Ms. Belmonte was open to my concerns, suggestions and feedback.
100% strongly agree

7. I would like to plan interdisciplinary activities that connect lab session to work in the classroom.
41% strongly agree, 31% agree, 25% neutral, 3% strongly disagree

8. I would like there to be a method of assessment or evaluation.
25% strongly agree, 6% agree, 59% neutral, 3% disagree, 3% strongly disagree

9. I don't mind if Ms. Belmonte adopts a disciplinary form or something similar to report poor or distracting behavior.
81% strongly agree, 16% agree, 3% neutral

10. I would like the Science Lab schedule to remain similar next year.
69% strongly agree, 12% agree, 9% neutral, 9% disagree

Curriculum Night This Thursday!

Join us at Ford on Thursday 2/12 from 6:00-8:00p for Curriculum Night. Make sure to stop by the Science Lab after the delicious Italian dinner ($5 per person). Take a quick tour of the lab and check out what the kids are up to. Miss Bella and I are looking forward to meeting the parents of my very astute and curious scientists!

Welcome to the new Science Lab!

Hi everyone, Ms. B here. Welcome to Ford's newest experiment, the Science Lab! What an exciting experience this has been for me! I've launched this blog to keep you updated on the latest activities, student projects and photos of the students in action.

The first week back from winter break, students attended a short orientation in the lab. Everyone got to meet Miss Bella (my pet tarantula), the crickets and the composting worms. If they chose to, students got to feel Miss Bella's exoskeleton. Periodically as she grows, Miss Bella molts, or sheds her skin and leaves it behind. She is surprisingly soft! The students also decorated the covers to their science journals, and upper grades talked a little about the scientific method. Check out some photos from the first week: