CLARKSVILLE — Science classes at Clinton-Massie High School take a hands-on approach to learning as students participate in science labs that allow them to put theory into practice.
In Mr. Norm Stulz’s biology lab, students dissected squids and explored mollusk anatomy and physiology.
Another lab found students having “Fun with Flavors” where they discovered that plugging one’s nose causes one to lose his or her sense of taste. For this lab, students ate Starburst Jelly Beans without knowing what flavor they were and while holding their nose as a demonstration of how the sense of smell greatly effects the sense of taste.
According to Mr. Stulz, “without the use of the olfactory sensors in the nose, it’s nearly impossible to detect what flavor the jelly bean is; however, as soon as you unplug your nose, you can tell what flavor it is. It’s why food doesn’t taste as good when you have a bad head cold!”
In Mr. Gil Farr’s chemistry lab, students worked together to make connections between the theory of the textbook and the real world by predicting whether or not certain combinations of substances would react. Students tested their predictions, recorded their observations, and followed up by writing balanced equations for all of the combinations that reacted.
Educational opportunities such these found in Massie’s science labs engage students in hand-on learning and allow students to build a functional understanding as they develop the ability to become independent and life-long learners.
Information for this article was provided by Diana Miller, who coordinates communications for several area schools.
