Grade 8 Students Seek Science in Queens

Ms. Nyren's 8th grade science class on the Science Playground at the New York Hall of Science

It was an exquisite fall day when students in Ms. Nyren’s Grade 8 science classes traveled to the New York Hall of Science in Queens and began their adventure in the outdoor Science Playground. As part of having fun on the huge seesaw, the giant spider web, and other installations, they experienced laws of physics such as how energy is transferred and transformed and how motion is expressed in different patterns.

Indoors, features of the permanent exhibit such as the mirrors that reflect distorted images and the huge pan of soapsuds that allows the experienced blower to form huge bubbles were among the favorites. Testing their balance, climbing, and pitching skills were among the activities that they enjoyed in the hall’s sports challenge section. The reaction time challenge, where they could “drive” a full size drag racer, taught them that concentration is as important as physical speed in efficiently reacting to stimuli.

At a demonstration with a live educator sporting protective goggles, the students saw a balloon that had been submerged in a beaker of liquid nitrogen actually crack as if it were made of glass. They also saw that elasticity is restored when a frozen balloon is allowed to warm up.

To paraphrase one of the students, “We learned by doing things, not just by reading or listening.” Many of the lessons learned will help to augment the Grade 8 Science curriculum.