Science Projects and Pizza Parties

Title: The Glittery Volcano!

It’s been a week since I said goodbye to my first crop of students from Bancroft Elementary School.  It is the end of the school year and they are moving on to bigger and better things- middle school!  I am incredibly proud of what they have been able to do and learn in the classroom under the guidance of myself and fellow instructor Mr. Luis Medina.

Title: Growing Plants with Different Liquids

During the last 6 weeks, some of the students continued with their regular lessons, including investigating the needs of pill bugs (also known as rollie-pollies) and discovering what conditions yeast need in order to produce carbon dioxide to make pizza dough rise.  The other members of the class decided to ask and answer their own questions in the form of science projects.

We had three groups complete their science projects and immortalize themselves and their findings on poster boards.  The students devised their questions and organized their ideas, created a list of methods and materials, performed numerous experiments, and analyzed results.  Additionally, the students were able to showcase their art skills as they decorated their boards.  Each group discovered just how much time, energy and preparation goes into producing a single result or finding.  At the end of it all, we all came out on top.  Everyone learned a little and created memories- and the students also had a pizza party!

I want to leave you all with one of my favorite memories.

Me: Everyone do your best to finish your posters before you leave, since this is the last day of class.

Student: Do we get to take the posters home?

Me: No. I want you to leave them here so that the younger students here at the school can see all of the cool, fun stuff you did.

Student:  ::3 second pause as she looks at the other students::  Ooooooooooooooh! We’re going to be soooo famous!