The annual science fair at the DDI’s Children’s Day Program (CDP) has all of those answers and more.
Over the last few weeks, the students at both the Smithtown and Huntington campuses have been working diligently to test their hypotheses and have fun while learning new information. The Science Fair provides both staff and students an opportunity to try something new.
Involving students in alternate activities enriches the classroom experience in ways you can never predict. It promotes rapport building and teamwork amongst students and staff alike.
“Something amazing happens when you change your teaching methods to accommodate learners at all ability levels - it can improve your overall success as an educator,” shared Michelle Vitalino, the Curriculum Coordinator at DDI’s Children’s Day Program.
Science in the special education classroom can be one of the most interesting subjects to teach and engage students. You can do a lot of fun things with it from research topics to full-blown messy experiments.
Experiments this year included identifying what type of water caused ice to melt faster, how to make the best ice cream, and finding out if milk can turn into plastic.
Here are some of the results:
Question: Where does the water really go when a plant is watered?
Conclusion: The water goes to the petals.
Question: What brand of microwave popcorn pops the best?
Conclusion: Orville Redenbacher's butter popcorn popped the best.
Question: Does ice melt faster in fresh water or in salt water?
Conclusion: The ice cube in the fresh water melted more than twice as fast as the ice cube in the salt water.
If you are interested in learning more about science project ideas, visit Science Buddies. This website provides information about project ideas, a guide to completing your science project, as well as resources for teachers, parents, and students.