8th Graders get their feet wet

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The 8th graders got their first taste today of what the labs will be like this year. For starters, one must be very quick on their toes! In order to finish on time, one really needs to have the pre-lab already written when they walk in the door. If it has already been safety-approved, that’s certainly icing on the cake. Today’s lab was 1.1: Distillation of baking soda.

The classroom was a beehive of activity as students collected the materials they would need – wash basins, a distillation apparatus, an alcohol burner, some fresh baking soda in a pyrex test tube, and of course, goggles. As those old MG car clubs like to say, “Safety First!”*

So, what exactly happens when one heats baking soda to high temperatures? Hmm, now that would be telling! We have one more step to complete on Thursday, when we compare a sample of baked baking soda with a fresh sample to see how both powders react to a test tube full of tea. That will provide some clues as to any possible chemical changes within the NaHCO3.

Both groups really had to scramble to finish on time, and they will get feedback next class as to how they did, as they plot a course for further work. It was a good day in the lab.

(* Would you believe that Mr. Stoffregen once drove an MGB as his daily driver? That was the car he had when he started at Quest Academy almost 25 years ago. It was painted a sassy british racing green, and it was a real hoot to drive!)

Welcome Back – the Lab is amazing!

Have you peeked in the new science labs yet? I still get a shiver down my back and a big grin every morning as I walk in. Alumni have walked in, stared in fascination and asked, “What happened here?” Magic, thats what. The science teachers sat down with the administrators and a series of field professionals to craft basically a brand new science facility from the inside out. It should come as no surprise that this takes us right back to the cutting edge in science.

The list of upgrades is long and amazing – a brand new ceiling, new LED lights, a brand new curio cabinet in the large window by the door made out of aluminum and polished stainless steel, a new reinforced cart for the 55 gallon fish tank, new fish, some fancy laboratory-grade microscopes, two new digital screens with blue tooth connectivity, some really sweet and ergonomic maple lab chairs that both spin and are on coasters, a video system built into the ceiling, a huge array of high-end water tests, some new measuring equipment… the list goes on and on.

And it doesn’t stop when we head out into the field, as we shall soon see as we embark on our annual Outdoor Education trip. When the 8th graders set forth to visit Northern Door County, Wisconsin, they shall take with them some of the most advanced water testing equipment available on the market today. This is not the standard limited testing equipment found in most school labs – these are the tools that professionals use when they go out into the field. Why take this route? We want to give the kids real life experiences, but also teach them on the quality and level of equipment that some of them might someday use for their own professional careers. Imagine looking out at Lake Michigan at Rowley’s Bay – pristine waters if ever there were any. Each child will be handed a different test to perform; one will look at calcium levels, another dissolved oxygen, another toxicity, and so on. They will do this on top grade equipment that is accurate down to one microgram per liter (ug/L). Another way to say that is one part per billion. Wow, stuff like this wasn’t even available just a few years ago. And it doesn’t stop there – the students will learn what those tests mean, what is considered a safe range for each test, what affects those numbers and what is done when a test reveals unsafe levels. Naturally we are expecting very high water quality samples on our trip, but to be able to quantify that quality and explain these tests to the students has this science teacher on cloud nine.

 

 

Hach

I just wanted to take a moment to say a BIG THANK YOU to all the Quest families who banded together to support Science at the auction last year. Your generous contributions have put our two laboratories at the forefront of science education at the K-8 level. I can hardly wait to begin teaching in this brand new facility. Kudos and undying gratitude also goes out to the dynamic duo of Nick Iodice and Ernesto. Often a job of this magnitude is farmed out to a third party, but these lads had the renovation well in hand from day one. Next in line were Phil Igyarto and Daniel Rezac, our IT specialists. Whether it was wiring a new video camera into the ceiling or setting up the new LCD TV monitors to speak to each-other, these guys knew what to do. The labs are spiffy, ergonomic as all get-out, and chock full of new opportunities for our students. When you have a moment, drop by to see the new labs. Watch for kids to start making videos soon!