Students explore science hands on
Highland Lakes Elementary School instructional aide Judy Owens (left) works with fourth-graders Angelica Gonzalez and Blake Atkinson during science lab Thursday. The students were learning how to separate matter, solutions and mixtures.
GRANITE SHOALS — When it comes to learning science, the laboratory is where it’s at. At least that’s what fourth-grade teacher David Tripp believes.
“Lab and experiments are extremely important because this is where they pick up the concepts,” he said. “It’s hands on.”
While students can learn some of the basics in a textbook or through lectures, he said many students don’t really “get it” until they see the scientific process unfold in the lab. During a lab Thursday, Tripp’s students were learning the difference between solutions and mixtures.
The exercise Tripp introduced to them involved metal filings, sand and sugar. Once broken up into small groups, the students mix the three ingredients together. Then Tripp asked them how they could separate the three components once again.
Tripp said the campus has put an extra focus on math and science last year and this year. As part of the plan, students get more visits in the lab.
“One of the things about learning is that people learn differently,” he said. “Some are very visual while others are more auditory. Then other students learn by doing. This is great for those who learn by doing.”
By the time the hour of science is up, the students have used a magnet to pull the metal filings from the mixture. Then they poured the sugar-sand mixture into a coffee filter, tied it shut and soaked it in water. The water dissolved the sugar leaving the sand remaining in the filter.
“Science is pretty cool,” Tripp told his students.
daniel@thepicayune.com
Photo by Daniel Clifton