Boushall Middle School
March 2021 - May 2021
Opportunity X representatives: Grace Lee
Sponsoring Principal: Kiara Thompson
3/23 Our First Meeting
We first introduced each other and played ice breakers. The material kits were not yet delivered, so we spent some time getting to know each other better and trying to learn about Opportunity X. We played “This or That,” and we discussed some of our favorite branches of science. The students were interested in the types of experiments, so we discussed which experiment we should do next week.
3/30 1st week
Students made elephant toothpaste with soap, hydrogen peroxide, water, and dry yeast. The experiment was a blast, and everyone loved it.
4/6 2nd week
Students conducted the Dancing Ghost experiment. Although they had a difficult time trying to make the ghost look like an actual ghost, the experiment itself went well.
4/13 3rd week
Students were excited to do the plastic milk experiment. They made milk into plastic using a microwave. They did an amazing job, and the experiment was successful.
4/20 4th week
Students designed our DNA using pipe cleaners and learned important concepts of DNA. We learned the 4 bases and the structure of DNA, also the fact that we all contained genetic material.
4/27 5th week
Students made iron for breakfast. They used cereal, magnet, and ziplock bags to extract the iron out of the cereals.
5/4 6th week
Students made lemon volcanoes out of vinegar and lemon (or some sort of acid). This was one of the experiments that students enjoyed the most, and they loved observing the explosion.
5/11 7th week
Students were introduced to the science exploration challenge and the science fair competition information, and they were able to get help to actually create experiments and researches on their own.
5/18 8th week
Students conducted the soap-powered boat experiment by using soap, cardboard, and water. They were able to observe the boat as it propelled forward.
5/25 9th week
This was our final meeting, and we wrapped our year with additional science fair information. Students reflected on our progress and how much we were able to accomplish the past year.
Week 5 - Paper Chromatography
Today we learned about capillary action, the mobile phase, the stationary phase, and solvents using paper chromatography. Students learned about natural examples of capillary action, what parts of the experiment were the mobile and stationary phase, and what the solvent was. They used a black marker and observed the many colors that came out once the solvent reached the ink.