{"id":2991,"date":"2015-01-17T16:13:04","date_gmt":"2015-01-17T20:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=2991"},"modified":"2015-03-10T15:48:36","modified_gmt":"2015-03-10T19:48:36","slug":"tallwood-takes-science-drab-fab-new-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/tallwood-takes-science-drab-fab-new-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"Tallwood takes science from drab to fab with new lab"},"content":{"rendered":"

A sign in Tallwood Elementary School\u2019s new science lab asks, \u201cHow were you a scientist today?\u201d<\/p>\n

The students were eager to show their guests how.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ready,\u201d asked the third-grader with eyes open wide behind her science goggles.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet ready,\u201d warned her peer scientist leaning back with a broad grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere it goes,\u201d said a third student holding a small cup of baking soda.<\/p>\n

With a pinch of the powdery substance, the mystery liquid in the glass bubbled and fizzed over the edge much to the delight of the three-student lab team and observing adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s vinegar,\u201d the third-graders exclaimed, and then confirmed the identity of the three liquids in the other glasses \u2013 hand sanitizer, Sprite and water \u2013 to their science lab guests.<\/p>\n

There was applause. There was laughter.<\/p>\n

But most importantly, there was learning.<\/p>\n

\"Tallwood<\/a>
Tallwood third-graders conduct an experiment using \u201cmystery liquids\u201d and baking soda to learn materials\u2019 physical and chemical properties.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Virginia Beach Education Foundation (VBEF) board members visited Tallwood\u2019s science lab to see firsthand how VBEF grants are supporting the foundation\u2019s mission \u201cto fund innovative and creative learning programs for students.\u201d Tallwood earned a $5,000 VBEF Schoolwide Grant, underwritten by CH2M Hill and Beach Windows & Siding, to support its plan to transform one classroom into a science lab to be used by teachers and students of all grade levels.<\/p>\n

Complete with science lab tables and stools, microscopes, experiment materials of all kinds, goggles and the all-important scientist lab coats, the room resembles a secondary school science lab.<\/p>\n

Tallwood gifted resource teacher and grant project director Keisha O\u2019Neal took the opportunity to thank the VBEF board members for their support. \u201cEverything you see in this room was purchased with the money we received from your grant,\u201d said O\u2019Neal, \u201cso thank you, and know that it is making a difference for our students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"VBEF<\/a>
VBEF President Nelson Adcock and VBCPS Deputy Superintendent Sheila Magula observe a Tallwood student in the science lab.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

O\u2019Neal then asked the group of first-, second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-grade scientists in the room for their thoughts. \u201cHow do you guys feel about the science lab?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s awesome,\u201d exclaimed the group in unison.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it because I love science, and this is just the room for me. Science is awesome and this room is awesome,\u201d one fifth-grader said.<\/p>\n

One of his peers agreed, \u201cAt first I didn\u2019t really like science, until I came into this room and learned all that we can do with science.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it because we don\u2019t have to learn about science by just reading the books in class,\u201d another student explained, \u201cwe can just come here and do our own little experiments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tallwood principal David French builds on the student\u2019s comment to highlight the lab\u2019s value for teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found that it was very challenging for the teachers to take the time in the classroom to set up for really authentic learning activities and hands-on science experiments,\u201d said French. \u201cWe felt like it was very powerful for the teachers to bring the kids in, and the lab is all ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fifth-grade<\/a>
Fifth-grade students study electrical circuits in the Tallwood Elementary science lab.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

French added that the lab is successful thanks to the valuable assistance of parent volunteers who help set up the room prior to class visits to ensure that students\u2019 time in the lab is spent learning. It also provides a great opportunity for parents to be engaged partners in education by taking an active role in the scientific experiments.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neal highlighted this hands-on learning and putting students at the center of scientific explorations as being critical to inspiring their love of science. In her grant project application entitled Taking Science from Drab to Fab<\/em> she wrote, \u201cResearch shows that elementary students learn science best when they are involved in first-hand exploration and investigation. Additionally, research also suggests that elementary students value science best when the presentation is varied to accommodate different learning styles, and students are given opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tallwood\u2019s new science lab provides for those opportunities and much more.<\/p>\n

Just ask the fifth-grader in the lab coat and goggles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love how it\u2019s a great source of learning, and it makes science really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A sign in Tallwood Elementary School\u2019s new science lab asks, \u201cHow were you a scientist today?\u201d The students were eager to show their guests how. \u201cAre you ready,\u201d asked the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[39,58,60],"class_list":["post-2991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-science","tag-tallwood-elementary","tag-vbef"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2991"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2995,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2991\/revisions\/2995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}