What Do Cockroaches, Light Bulbs and Fish Have in Common?
April 23, 2013
The science lab at Spaulding Youth Center has been buzzing with activity for the last month as preparations have been under way for their annual science fair. Together staff and students selected, explored and researched different topics to create experiments that would interest each scientist. One boy was interested in how temperature affects the movement of cockroaches, so his teacher ordered some giant cockroaches which were kept in an aquarium in the classroom; another child was interested in the habits of fish because he is a fisherman, so an aquarium was set up and fish purchased; one class built rockets to learn how the different shapes of nose cones affects the rocket’s performance and filmed the results; and yet another class conducted experiments on light bulbs with different voltages and filament sizes.
Students were required to make an hypothesis and to follow the scientific method in order to draw conclusions. They learned a lot through their research and experiments and had a great time with their projects. They were especially proud to show off their work to their families, board members and staff at the science fair. The judges were very pleased and impressed with the quality of the students’ work commenting that the students were diligent about their procedures and presented their findings beautifully. Education Director Colleen Sliva remarked, “The spirit of scientific inquiry overtook the school as each student engaged in a meaningful way in the scientific process. It was an outstanding day!” All scientists received awards in recognition of their successful experiments.
Spaulding Youth Center leverages professional expertise to help young people with autism or other developmental and/or behavioral challenges learn the academic and life skills needed to be successful in their homes, schools and communities.
For information about Spaulding Youth Center, contact Gail Mayhew, Director of Development at 603-286-7500 ext. 532; GMayhew@SpauldingYouthCenter.org or visit www.spauldingyouthcenter.org.
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