6th Grade Visits Brookhaven National Laboratory

On Dec 3-6, the sixth grade classes from Dayton Avenue School and Eastport Elementary School, visited the Brookhaven National Lab (BNL) to experience their Science Learning Center.  During the day, the classes attended three different “exploration labs."  

The first was “Nowcasting” Cloud Formation Lab.  Through interactive models and demonstrations, the students discovered through predicting, estimating, measuring, revising, and record keeping- What is a cloud and how it is formed?  What is the role that aerosols play in cloud formation and why they are so important?

This activity correlated exactly to our curriculum at this time, since in science we are covering Weather and in Math making comparisons to form percents and ratios.

The second lab was “Graphic Exposure: Clouds and Solar Energy.”  In this lab the students recorded, graphed, and analyzed how clouds affect solar energy outputs.  The students used a laptop computer to answer a research question about clouds and solar energy by visually representing and comparing data. This activity reinforced their graphing and analytic skills.

The last lab was “Solar Energy Lab.”  The students explored the properties of photo voltaic panels.  They experimented with a variety of materials to determine which are ideal for transmission, absorption, and reflection of solar energy.  The students learned how to use instant thermometers and volt meters.  We have discussed solar energy and how it relates to weather.  In the second half of sixth grade, we will be discussing Alternative Renewable Energy Resources and their importance to our future.

These labs were very informative as well as thought provoking for our students. The staff was professional, patient, and interesting.  They discussed their individual topics by finding out what the students knew and the questions they had.  Each lab used multi-sensory instruction.  The instructors not only talked about how BNL is a great resource for us to use, but the opportunities for different professions that might interest the students in the future. They explained how they can become involved in research projects and even do internships once in high school.  It was a very full day of learning and was worthwhile since it mirrored the sixth grade science curriculum.