Middle Schoolers Explore Science Through Hands-On Projects

This spring, Middle School students had the opportunity to explore many of the sciences — chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, environmental, earth, life sciences, and more — through hands-on projects. 

“Middle School science is an exciting place to be on any given day,” said Susan Bralower, St. Luke’s Middle School Science Department Chair. “The joy of discovery is palpable. The curriculum is designed to get students out of their seats and engage with concepts firsthand, rather than simply read about them in a book.”

Fifth grade students participated in the Cut the Rope project. “In this signature project, students apply their understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion by creating their own level of Cut the Rope — a physics-based video game puzzle  — using various items, such as a cardboard box, duct tape, and plastic cups,” explained Fifth Grade Science Teacher Jessie Samuel. 

Sixth Grade: Earth Science Investigated

Sixth grade students investigated the world of Earth science by studying the mechanical and physical layers of Earth and exploring how shifts in tectonic plates can cause earthquakes and volcanoes. Working in groups, the students constructed volcanos and used their knowledge of chemistry to devise the perfect formula for eruption.

In seventh grade life sciences, students learned about the human body and investigated the similarities and differences among humans and other organisms by dissecting a fish. Seventh Grade Science Teacher Rachel Lang shared that she “planned the dissection project for students to identify internal organs and compare what they saw in the fish to the systems we studied in class.” A computer simulation was available for students who preferred not to dissect real fish. 

Eighth Grade: A Bridge to Understand Engineering

St. Luke’s eighth graders tackled physics and engineering concepts. Using the design-thinking process, students designed and built truss bridges made out of Balsa wood and glue to test tension, compression, and structure and investigate the role force plays in the design and strength of a bridge.

See photos from our Middle School science projects: 8th Grade Bridge Building, 7th Grade Fish Dissection, 6th Grade Volcano, 5th Grade Cut the Rope.