It’s part of the norm for those with labs with Juniata College’s Science in Motion program.

“Science in Motion provides support for the middle school, junior high school and high school,” explained Kelli Stine, a general science teacher at Mifflin County Junior High School. “There are mobile educators that provide hands-on experiments and demonstrations with the students.”

Fire and ice included.

The program stresses when students see science in motion, they become excited about the subject that explains it, and learning becomes the recipe for something awe-inspiring.

Photo courtesy of MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Kelsi Newman (left), of Juniata College’s Science in Motion program pours liquid nitrogen over a balloon making liquid oxygen as she is assisted by Mifflin County Junior High School student Aubrie Yoder.

“This school year, I have 103 students over five class periods,” said Melissa Schomaker, an eighth-grade science teacher at Mifflin County Junior High School.

“I often borrow supplies from Science in Motion for labs,” Schomaker added. “One example is the chemicals for an elephant toothpaste lab to demonstrate exothermic chemical reactions and the effect of varying concentration or using a catalyst. Another popular lab I borrow uses ionic salts to show the range of colors emitted by burning various elements.”

Both teachers agree the hands-on approach is much more effective in teaching science than having students sit at their desks and stare at the pages of a textbook.

“Students very much prefer hands-on activities and with Science in Motion, I am able to bring many concepts to life that I may not otherwise be able to do due to limitations with supplies and equipment,” Schomaker explained.

Case in point: Kelsi Newman, the middle and junior high school outreach coordinator from Juniata College, spent the day in Mifflin County classrooms recently, and performed many demonstrations to highlight the products of various chemical reactions.

Photo courtesy of MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Mifflin County Junior High School student Raelyn Reinhart (left) doesn’t flinch as a fiery plume is ignited by Kelsi Newman, of Juniata College’s Science in Motion program.

“She provides great demonstrations – the liquid nitrogen demonstration, making ice cream with liquid nitrogen and the fire demo,” Stine said. “We can also get pre-made labs through the school year delivered to our classroom.

“I use the mixtures and compounds lab, the endothermic/exothermic lab, M&Ms half-life lab and the law of conservation of mass lab,” Stine added. “I have been using the program for years. It is valuable to our students.”

Stine’s average class size is around 23 students, and she teaches six periods each day.

At the conclusion of each class, every student was able to hold methane-filled bubbles, which were then ignited by Newman. This combustion reaction lasted only a few seconds, but it was just long enough to get great pictures of the students.

“They talk about this demo day a lot and we refer back to it often in our discussions,” Schomaker said.

Photo courtesy of MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Mifflin County Junior High School students Chase Krepps (left) and Lily Curry make ice cream using liquid nitrogen.

Science in Motion supports middle and high schools by addressing the needs of science, engineering, and technology in the classroom by providing:

Mobile educators, or visiting science education specialists, to the schools with multiple sets of modern scientific equipment and supplies needed to give every student a hands-on experience;

Well-maintained equipment and materials to teachers to allow greater access to advanced laboratory resources;

Professional development workshop opportunities for teachers to keep high school and middle school courses current with the latest discoveries in science and have standards-aligned laboratory activities.