Pharmaceutical Chemist visits Grade 8 Science!

Dr. Kailash Sumathi (father of Dhruv), visited the Grade 8 Science classes on Friday, November 6.

Dr. Sumathi with 8th grade Science teachers (from L to R): Jody Salisbury, Steve Boardman & Janice Corley.

He launched his talk by talking about lab safety and discussed the current class topic of chemical and physical changes.  He challenged students as to the state of matter of a tomato, then froze it in CO2/water and shattered it.  He showed how CO2 gas (made from dry ice and water) could put out flames and made a flame using nothing more than a battery and fluffy steel wool!

He lit magnesium and extinguished with CO2, made a precipitate with silver nitrate, blew and bent glass, made thin drawn pipettes and created foam with soap/water to challenge students to think about what state of matter foam might be. This began a great discussion of how foam was a hot area of research right now- NASA has a product that is so light it floats in air but can withstand the blast of a blow torch!

Live Action Action Potentials!

The juniors and seniors in Anatomy and Physiology get physically familiar with ion movement during an Action Potential.  Students imitate Sodium Channels, Potassium Channels and the Sodium/Potassium Pump as they physically move ions (crumpled paper balls) across the membrane to simulate an Action Potential traveling down the axon.

Mock Board of Selectmen Meeting in Honors Biology!

Michele Grzenda, Weston's  Conservation Commission Agent came to Ms. Kresl-Moffat's Honors Bio classes to lead the students in a Selectman's meeting concerning the use of bow hunting as a means to limit the deer population in the town.  After a short presentation, students were assigned roles of town committees or residents and had the opportunity to present their arguments to the "Board of Selectmen".  In both classes, the board voted for the restricted use of bow hunting.

        Town Boards Meet to Organize their Arguments 

Presentations by the boards

Michelle Grzenda presents

Rocks Beneath Our Toes (RoBOT) - A Collaborative Program with HS Chemistry and Boston University!

Ten of Ms. South’s CP Chemistry students are participating this year in the “Rocks Beneath Our Toes” (RoBOT) Program with Professor Ethan Baxter of Boston University. This educational outreach program engages high school students in a hands-on study of the rocks and minerals and is funded by the National Science Foundation. Students work with Boston University undergraduates to analyze the mineralogy and unravel the unique story that each rock holds about its geologic past. The goal is to provide high school students a unique window into modern scientific methods of geochemistry and mineralogy and to unlock for them the exciting information about Earth history that all rocks preserve. The program started in early October with a visit to the High School and a talk by Professor Baxter. Students recently completed the field research portion of the program, visiting and taking samples from four sites in Weston.

Rare, Stinky, but Beautiful Fungus!

This fungus is called "Red Cage Fungus" aka "Lattice Stinkhorn" and smells like rotting flesh!  Anyone want to keep this in their yard???

• Fungi and LichenKingdom Fungi
• BasidiomycetesPhylum Basidiomycota
• ClassAgaricomycetes
• Order Phallales
• StinkhornsFamily Phallaceae
• Genus Clathrus
• Red-cage FungusClathrus ruber

Top 10 Reasons to Be an Engineer!

Give it some thought. . . . . 

1. Engineers work to solve global problems such as world hunger, clean water, protecting the environment and improving the quality of everyday life.
2. Engineering allows you to use your creativity every day.
3. Engineering gives you the chance to collaborate with other professionals such as lawyers, doctors, government officials, scientists, statisticians and more.
4. Engineering is a global endeavor, frequently affording the opportunity for travel.
5. Engineers have the opportunity for rapid advancement in their companies.
6. Engineers frequently have a high level of responsibility and autonomy in their positions
7. Engineering salaries remain high.
8. Engineering degrees provide excellent preparation for other professional degrees such as medicine, law or business.
9. While working as a scientist frequently requires advanced degrees, engineers are very employable with a bachelor’s degree.
10. Engineering has more impact on the world than any other profession.

Cool Article on STEM . . . .

Article on STEM

WHS - Anatomy & Physiology Classes Explore Eye Physiology

Science Elective Course, "Human Anatomy & Physiology" has students exploring the physiology of the eye.  They investigate depth of vision, blind spots, points of accommodation, pupillary reflex and others!

Weston Middle School - 7th Grade Explores the Rock Cycle

Who knew rocks could be so much fun?  7th graders cut, melt and crystalize crayons to represent the different stages of the rock cycle.

AP Bio partners with Wildlife conservation to help Blandings turtles

Look at what happened in AP Biology this week!

These photos were taken during the presentation to AP Biology by Dr. Bryan Windmiller of Grassroots Wildlife Conservation on the Headstarting project for Blandings turtles.  The AP Bio students will be caring for the turtles for the rest of the year in order to increase their size before being released into the wild next June.  The Blandings turtle is a threatened species with populations in the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge in Concord and the Oxbow National wildlife refuge in Harvard, Ma.  As larger turtles are released after the "headstart" given by over 40 near by schools, the predation will be less and over time, the Blanding turtles population will increase.

CP Physics, 9th Grade - RUNNING LAB!

Who says you only get exercise in PE classes?  Look at how much fun 9th grade Physics students are having when they get to run in class and analyze their data!  Whoo-hoo!!

What is wrong with this picture??

What is wrong with this picture of Ms. Cole in the Lab?

Do safety goggles belong on TOP OF THE HEAD???

(Hint: the answer is NO!!)

What was Ms. Cole doing this summer?

Ms. Cole typing her own DNA at Harvard University Science Labs this summer.

Does she have the gene to taste the PTC paper?  Yes, she does!  Is she able to taste the PTC paper when she tried it?  Yes, she can!  Her geneotype and her phenotype match!  Oh, and PTC paper tastes NASTY!

Top 10 favorite science jokes!

(I saved the best for last!)

1.  I was going to tell a joke about sodium, but Na.
2. Two scientists walk into a bar. "I'll have an H2O," says the first. "I'll have an H2O too," says the second. The second man dies.
3. Atom 1: "I think I've lost an electron."
Atom 2: "Are you sure?" Atom 1: "Yeah, I'm positive."

4. A photon checks into a hotel. The clerk asks if he needs help with luggage. Photon replies, "I dont have any, I'm traveling light."

5. There are 10 kinds of people in this world. Those who understand binary. And those who don't.

6. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the precipitate.

7. I've been reading this book on anti-gravity and I just can't put it down.

8. What did one sister chromatid say to the other? "Stop copying me!"

9. My friend Power has been super stressed at his job because his boss keeps making him work over time. (P=w/t)

10. Don't trust atoms. . . .they make up everything.

Welcome to the Weston Public Schools Science Blog for grades 6 - 12! 

Here you will find fun science information as well as learn what is happening with science in the Weston Middle & High Schools. 

Check back regularly for new information and updates throughout the school year. Let me know what you think!

 ~ Erica Cole
Science Department Head
Grades 6 - 12, Weston Public Schools