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Middle School Science Classrooms Impacting Learning…With the completion of Phase I of our IACS Master Plan, the opening of our two new science classrooms at the beginning of the school year is already showing great impact.
As Mr. Edwards says, “The new science rooms create a bright and cheerful way for students to start their daily science experience. Having science tables allows the classroom to function in various configurations for discussions, lecture, and experiments. The linoleum floors are essential for additional work space and make cleaning up easier than the former carpeting. Having sinks in the classroom is arguably the most valuable asset of any science classroom; except now, I don't pay as much attention to all the glassware piling up! The shared science closet is a great way to share resources and also to allow quicker access between rooms for collaboration between teachers and students.” The new classrooms feature an upgraded, environmentally sound ventilation system, black-topped, chemical resistant lab tables and a dedicated counter with under-mount, double sinks for cleanup. Supporting our mission toward 21st Century learning, the new classrooms feature ceiling mounted projectors with pull-down screens and white boards to better utilize technology. |
“From creating atomic molecules to engineering penny bridges, the daily rhythm of the 7/8 science curriculum is active with hands-on, project-based work. The new science classrooms support this style of teaching and learning with ample space, lab tables arranged to encourage collaboration, storage for equipment, as well as bright tile flooring and sinks that allows for easy clean up of the occasional messiness that project-based learning brings!", says Mrs. Kapeckas, MS Principal.
In addition, the newly renovated hallway leading to the MS science classrooms allows for display of science projects and breakout room for group collaboration. Take it from a student who has used both the old and new classrooms:
“The new middle school science labs have really been a great help for me and my fellow classmates, both when we are doing hands-on projects and when sitting down and learning basic skills. Whether we need materials or tools, from Elmer's glue to a scale for measuring, the closet which separates the two classrooms is there with a lending hand. The sinks and tiled floors create a sterile environment, and made our Chemical Reaction rubric possible. For this rubric we experimented with baking soda volcanoes, which got a little messy. With the sinks, we could easily wash out the tubes we used, and if we spilled any vinegar or baking soda on the floor it was simple to wipe it up. I remember the stark contrast from our science room last year- we did a few really awesome hands-on projects, where we created, hot glued, and nailed our own model cars, learning how to create a 'Crumple Zone' so that when the cars went down a ramp they wouldn't bounce back as much. This project was innovative and showed off everything our school wants to embody. However, our carpet was littered with spaghetti that got hot glued down, and trash everywhere. Once we retired our safety goggles and left for the day, the janitors who were tasked with the job of cleaning our rooms set to work faithfully, but it was unfair from the start and the next day the room would only get worse. It was simply impossible to keep a tiny carpeted room clean with 25 creative (and messy) 7th and 8th graders who had the freedom to create whatever they wanted. Our new classrooms changed all that. When we started the Atomic Modeling rubric this year, the room was spotless. When we finished the rubric, even after hot gluing, painting, and building with flaking Styrofoam (the key word being 'flaking'), the room was (shockingly) still spotless. I can say without a doubt that this is a big difference from our old classrooms, and I am sure my classmates and (especially my teachers) would agree with me.”
Spencer Royston,
Current 8th Grader
In addition, the newly renovated hallway leading to the MS science classrooms allows for display of science projects and breakout room for group collaboration. Take it from a student who has used both the old and new classrooms:
“The new middle school science labs have really been a great help for me and my fellow classmates, both when we are doing hands-on projects and when sitting down and learning basic skills. Whether we need materials or tools, from Elmer's glue to a scale for measuring, the closet which separates the two classrooms is there with a lending hand. The sinks and tiled floors create a sterile environment, and made our Chemical Reaction rubric possible. For this rubric we experimented with baking soda volcanoes, which got a little messy. With the sinks, we could easily wash out the tubes we used, and if we spilled any vinegar or baking soda on the floor it was simple to wipe it up. I remember the stark contrast from our science room last year- we did a few really awesome hands-on projects, where we created, hot glued, and nailed our own model cars, learning how to create a 'Crumple Zone' so that when the cars went down a ramp they wouldn't bounce back as much. This project was innovative and showed off everything our school wants to embody. However, our carpet was littered with spaghetti that got hot glued down, and trash everywhere. Once we retired our safety goggles and left for the day, the janitors who were tasked with the job of cleaning our rooms set to work faithfully, but it was unfair from the start and the next day the room would only get worse. It was simply impossible to keep a tiny carpeted room clean with 25 creative (and messy) 7th and 8th graders who had the freedom to create whatever they wanted. Our new classrooms changed all that. When we started the Atomic Modeling rubric this year, the room was spotless. When we finished the rubric, even after hot gluing, painting, and building with flaking Styrofoam (the key word being 'flaking'), the room was (shockingly) still spotless. I can say without a doubt that this is a big difference from our old classrooms, and I am sure my classmates and (especially my teachers) would agree with me.”
Spencer Royston,
Current 8th Grader