The Newsletter for Science
in Motion at Susquehanna University
Volume VII Issue 5 January 2008
Director's Column
The SIM Winter Workshop was held Thursday, January 3rd at Susquehanna University Fisher Science Hall. A record breaking 26 teachers attended representing Central Mountain, Columbia Montour AVTS, Danville, East Juniata, Hughesville, Jersey Shore, Juniata, Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Midd-West, Montgomery, Mt. Carmel, Shamokin, and Williamsport. Biology teachers performed Bacterial Synergism, Bacteria in Food, Gel Analysis Photosynthesis and Water Quality experiments. Chemistry teachers examined Time-Released Vitamin C, Buffer in Lemonade, Phosphoric Acid Content of Soft Drinks, Beet Red and Beer’s Law. Physics teachers spent time on Newton’s 2nd and 3rd Laws, as well as using video analysis for Ball Toss. Lastly, we were very lucky to have a few of the new Vernier Lab Quests available for teachers to check out during the workshop.
 |
 |
Teachers use video analysis for Ball Toss. |
Greg Stout, SIM Mobile Educator, demonstrates the new Vernier Lab Quests. |
Madge Schworer, Biology Mobile Educator Says…
Happy New Year! I hope that everyone enjoyed the winter break! Crime Scene Investigation was quite popular before the winter break. I worked with Jen Gurski at Shikellamy High School to provide CSI learning days introducing students to the techniques of fingerprinting, blood spatter analysis, blood typing, and DNA fingerprinting. Jen then kept the SIM equipment for a second week during which students evaluated evidence to solve their crime scene. This approach gave time for students to learn techniques and then apply those techniques independently. The students were enthusiastic and engaged in the lab. At Berwick High School biology students from Gary Stair’s classes persevered through a snow day and 2 separate delays to complete their CSI lab. I thank them for their hard work in our shortened time together. Finally, Biology and Chemistry students at Sunbury Christian School with John Hernandez analyzed evidence carefully to overcome their first impressions from suspect alibis to solve their crime scene. At Berwick and Sunbury Christian students looked at fingerprints, hair, blood typing, and DNA fingerprinting.
Between CSI visits, I brought the AP Cellular Respiration lab to Jeremy Lauver’s AP Biology students at Lewisburg High School. Effects of Temperature on Cricket Respiration was the topic studied by Bob Hartman’s Biology students at Shamokin High School and Allison Spencer’s Biology 1 students evaluated carbon dioxide changes in light and dark conditions in the Vernier Photosynthesis and Respiration lab.
 |
 |
|
John Hernandez
discusses agarose gel electrophoresis techniques |
Berwick students prepare balloon fingerprints to learn |
Equipment drops included Genes in a Bottle to Paulette Armbruster at Selinsgrove High School, pGLO Bacterial Transformation to Al Zelnick at Line Mountain High School, Human Chromosome Spread and Digital Microscopes to Jocelyn Bailey and Kathy Bower at Milton High School, Leica microscopes to Deb Kurtz at Milton High School, and DNA Fingerprinting to Bo Meyer at Williamsport High School.
In addition to these bio van activities, the SIM ME’s traveled to Hershey for the annual PSTA convention. This year provided a number of interesting presentations for our professional development and the opportunities to exchange ideas with our SIM colleagues from other areas of the state. The new year began with our Winter Workshop – our biology group was large and a great mix of new faces and teachers more familiar with SIM services. My SIM calendar is filling up for the spring semester. I do have a few open days in February and March (email me) and I can always work with you on equipment loans.
Jaclyn Todd, Chemistry/Physics Mobile Educator Says…
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday and a relaxing break. This month, I spent some time at Shikellamy High School with the chemistry students of Yvonne Monahan. She invited SIM into her classrooms to perform the Chemistry Crime Scene. The students performed a variety of crime scene investigations over the course of the week such as Melting Point Analysis, Fabric Analysis, Infrared Spectroscopy and Paper and Gas Chromatography using high-tech equipment in a forensic manner.
The chemistry students of Faye Hinson at Milton High School used our gas chromatographs to perform the lab GC of Alcohols. Her students analyzed various compounds using our gas chromatographs to determine their various components. Victor Colangelo of Shamokin High School brought SIM into his classroom where his physics students performed the lab Ohm’s Law. His students used Vernier circuit boards, differential voltage probes and current probes to determine the relationship between current, voltage and resistance in a circuit. I was then back to Shikellamy High School where the students of Sheila Furr performed the lab Evaporation and Intermolecular Attractions. The students related temperature changes caused by the evaporation of several liquids to the strength of intermolecular forces of attraction. John Hernandez of Sunbury Christian High School allowed his students to enjoy our GPS units to do a scavenger hunt. The popular Chemistry Crime scene also made a debut this month at Selinsgrove High School in the classrooms of Tracy Hepner. I was once again off to Shikellamy High School where the students of Sheila Furr did some experimenting with nuclear radiation. Her chemistry classes utilized our Vernier radiation detectors, nuclear shielding materials and radiation sources to perform the lab Radiation Shielding. The students used the radiation detectors to study how the radiation emitted by a beta source is absorbed by cardboard. They also performed the lab Alpha, Beta, Gamma where they use a Vernier radiation counter to measure the absorption of radiation by air, paper and aluminum. They performed the lab Distance and Radiation as well. In this lab, students use the monitor to measure radiation emitted by a gamma source as a function of distance. They finally performed the lab Lifetime Measurement where they measure the decay constant and half-life of barium-137. John Hernandez of Sunbury Christian School again utilized SIM’s equipment this month. This time his students performed the lab Bungee Jump Accelerations where they analyze the motion of a bungee jumper using an accelerometer. I then took a trip up to Hughesville High School to visit John Tamblin. His chemistry students used our conductivity probes to perform the lab Conductivity of Solutions where they investigate the relationship between the conductivity and concentration of a solution. My last visit this month was to Berwick High School’s Christine Dent where her chemistry students completed the lab Titration of Strong and Weak Acids and Bases. The students observed differences in shapes of titration curves when various strengths of acids and bases are combined.
 |
 |
| Shikellamy students use a spectrophotometer to determine |
Shikellamy students attempt to determine the brand of plastic |
You can begin to send in your reservation
forms for the spring semester now! Many of you are beginning to request drop-off’s
as you become well-rehearsed and familiar with our labs. Due to limited computers,
you’ll want to get those reservation forms in soon to ensure you reserve
the equipment. Feel free to e-mail me about any specific days or labs. Have
a great 2008!
Greg Stout, Mobile Educator Says...
The period between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays was a busy time for us here at Science In Motion (SIM). Six schools were able to complete their water quality monitoring stream visits in spite of inclement weather and higher than normal stream levels. In the last week of November, Milton (Karen Avery), North Schuylkill (John Slotterback) and Shikellamy (Mary Dahlmann) High Schools were able to conduct their onsite analyses and collect the required water samples. In December, Bloomsburg Christian (Joshua Greene), Bloomsburg (Doug VanBrunt) and Central Columbia (Dana Hock) High Schools were able to fulfill their obligations to SIM and the CBC by completing their third visit before the Christmas break. On December 12th, conditions at Hemlock Creek (Bloomsburg High School stream site) were not safe enough to conduct flow measurements. Fortunately though, we were able to safely collect the required samples for onsite water quality measurements and shipment to the PA DEP for the required inorganic analyses.
 |
|
Bloomsburg Christian School students filtering water from Little Fishing Creek. |
I was also able to facilitate three in-class Biology visits during this time period. On November 30th I traveled to Shamokin High School and worked with teacher Bob Hartman. We assisted his students as they conducted Vernier’s Photosynthesis and Respiration Lab. Four days later I traveled to Berwick High School to facilitate that same lab with teacher Gary Stair and his students. My last class visit of 2007 was with teacher Donna Wood as we conducted Wards Bacterial Sensitivity lab with her students at Danville High School.
 |
 |
|
Shamokin High School students conducting Vernier's "Photosynthesis and Respiration" |
Vernier's "Photosynthesis and Respiration" experiment being conducted |
I was also privileged to attend two educational/networking meetings in December. The first was the annual Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association (PSTA) meeting in Hershey, PA, where I attended seminars, represented SIM at our consortium’s booth, attended our SIM consortium’s annual meeting and networked with many individuals. The latter meeting was with the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies (SRHCES), also known locally as the "River Group”. It was interesting for me to listen to the stimulating discussions between the various “partners” of this group, and to understand what a wealth of expertise in biology, environmental science, geology, and other scientific areas was represented in the room that day. Please visit http://www.srhces.org for information on the mission of this group, its partners and their projects.
Experiment of the Month
Bacteria in Food
This month we are featuring Wards Natural Science “Bacteria in Food
Kit”. This lab determines contamination levels of Ground Beef in different
environments.
We are often cautioned to carefully prepare and store our food in order to
avoid bacterial contamination. Now students can study the effects of improperly
stored food using this lab activity and ground beef purchased from a local
vendor. The serial dilutions students perform will determine the bacterial
titer (level of contamination) in frozen, refrigerated, and room-temperature
beef. Dilutions are made based upon storage conditions, plated onto Tryptic
Soy Agar plates and incubated at 37° C. Students count the number of colonies
that grow on these plates and multiply that number times the dilution factor
to determine the microbial count per gram of product.
This lab was showcased at our January
2008 SIM Winter Workshop. The pictures below show some of the teachers at
our workshop performing this experiment.
 |
 |
| Teachers at the SIM Winter workshop perform the "Bacteria in Food" experiment. |
|
Save a Tree
If you wish to receive
this newsletter in electronic format, please send us your e-mail address at
sciencemotion@susqu.edu or phone
us at 570-372-4779.
Courtney
Thomas
Director, Science in Motion
570-372-4778
thomasc@susqu.edu
