More than Lab Coats: Science in Real Life for Severn's 8th Grade

Chemistry, It’s Not Just for Chemists

This fall, Ms. Josey’s 8th-grade science classes learned about the periodic table and radioactivity. To show her students how understanding chemistry can apply to work outside of a traditional lab setting, she set up a class Skype with Stepanie Lukowski, a paleontologist from the Snowmass Ice Age Discovery Center in Colorado, one of the world’s largest ice age archeological digs. Ms. Lukowski talked about the dig, what they found, and how they date the fossils. She explained how they use a radioactive version of carbon (carbon 14), but also other elements like uranium or potassium to find absolute dates for the fossils. She also discussed how to identify the fossils using clues from comparisons to other land animals and details about habitats. She described each layer of their discoveries from mastodons to mammoths — animals that lived tens of thousands of years apart in history, yet were fossilized at the same site.

Ms. Josey wants her students to see that what they are learning in class has real-life applications and not always in the way one might assume. She wanted them to connect face-to-face with a young, female scientist who uses her knowledge about chemistry and biology in a hands-on dig, working to change the scientific communities’ understanding of alpine life during the Ice Age.

Rebuilding Poplar Island: Biologists in Action

Earlier in the year, Ms. Josey invited representatives from the Maryland Environmental Service to talk about the restoration of Poplar Island and to introduce the kids to young diamondback terrapins. Poplar Island, along with other isolated islands in the Bay, is dramatically eroding through various natural processes. With the loss of the island comes a loss of the protected and virtually predator-free nesting area for diamondback terrapins and other Bay fish and wildlife.

The two visiting biologists explained the restoration process; essentially dredging, shaping and planting material within dikes around the remaining island, building it up piece by piece. Our 8th graders were amazed at the difference between the older, more established parts of the restoration as compared to newer sections. The more established areas are home once again to nesting terrapins as the ecosystem becomes reestablished over time. They showed video of some of the restoration in action, with scientists operating heavy machinery and getting their hands dirty on location, painting a picture of what science looks like in real life.

Along with their lesson about Poplar Island, the representatives brought young terrapins for our students to hold and observe. This was a great introduction to the year-long Terrapins in the Classroom program which allows our students to care for a hatchling terrapin for several months before returning it to Poplar Island where the cycle can begin again. All of these experiences help our students piece together the many ways that people use science in the world.

“One of the things I’m trying to do is have interactions with real-life scientists as part of the class. I want the kids to see that science is more than working in a lab and that anyone can be a scientist, regardless of gender, age, or ethnicity. What we’re learning is not just classroom stuff. This is life. This is what people are doing to make real change in the world. There are a variety of ways that you can do science. I want them to understand that and get excited about it.” — Ms. JoAnna Josey

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Real World Learning in Our Middle School

Authentic learning experiences are an important part of our Middle School curriculum. We want our students to understand the tangible applications for what they are learning in class. Through these experiences, they become more invested in their work and more curious about the world around them. Our teachers are dedicated to creating engaging lessons that capture attention and spark inspiration so our students of today can grow to make the discoveries of tomorrow.