Science Night at Cook Wissahickon Elementary
On March 10th, Harriton Science Club hosted its third science night of the year. Members of the club presented various science-related demos to students at Cook Wissahickon Elementary School, who were in grades ranging from second to eighth.
Science Club is a group of Harriton students who have a passion for science and want to pass on their interest to younger students in schools where the science education may be lacking. Members travel to local elementary schools, often in inner city Philadelphia, bringing with them numerous demos that exhibit basic principles of science in an interesting fashion. They set up tables in a gym or auditorium, and students rotate through the different tables to get exposed to a variety of science topics. Each member is assigned a demo, either alone or in small groups, and they prepare a presentation that explains the science behind the demo.
The demos were a huge success. Some of the most popular demos were clock reactions, which presented the time-dependent nature of chemical reactions with a visually stimulating reaction; a smoke ring generator, which showed how air currents behaved; and a Jacob’s ladder, which demonstrated electrical currents. Over one hundred students came to the presentations and were impressed by the dedication of the members to their demos.
Since the departure of beloved physics teacher and science club faculty advisor, Mr. Schwartz, the club has continued to perform at an impressive rate. Under the leadership of Mr. MacNichol and co-presidents Sam Davis and Mirriam Lee, the club has reached out to several new schools to expand their influence to a greater region of Philadelphia. The club hopes to generate interest in science and STEM-related fields in these areas. Mirriam Lee says, “this was one of the hardest shows we have had all year because we had around two hundred kids in total. Overall, I think it was a huge success and it seemed like all of the kids and even the science club members had a blast.”
Moving forward, the club will continue their rapid rate of presentations with events coming up in May, especially the Science Festival in Philly, and Science Night at Harriton. If you are interested in joining them, talk to Mr. MacNichol, Sam Davis, or Mirriam Lee.
