Lake George Jr.-Sr. High School’s Chemistry Club, led by Chemistry teacher Bill Brown, recently organized the second Science Exploration & Experimentation (SEE) event of the school year. This time, they focused on bringing the wonders of chemistry to 30 excited elementary students from grades 5 and 6.
The Chemistry Club, established in October 2017 and officially recognized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in February 2018, took charge of creating a program that blended fun and education. In preparation for the event, three captivating experiments were chosen by the students: Red Cabbage Juice Acid/Base Indicator, Dry Sherbet, and a Lava Lamp. To ensure a seamless experience, detailed experiment description was provided to each elementary student. This allowed them to replicate the experiments at home with their families, furthering connections between school and family learning.
Over the course of two months, Chemistry Club students diligently learned and practiced the experiments, preparing to guide the elementary students through the fascinating world of chemistry. On Tuesday, December 12, two high school students took charge of each station, overseeing the elementary students’ exploration.
The event unfolded smoothly, with elementary students rotating through the stations every 10 minutes. By the end, each student had participated in all three experiments and interacted with at least six high school students. The collaboration between older and younger students created much eagerness with many questions for the older students, highlighting the success of the event.
Bill Brown expressed his optimism, hoping that the elementary students not only learned a bit of chemistry but also had a blast, and created a lasting joy for science. For the high school students, the event served as a reminder that their knowledge can be shared and enjoyed through experimentation with others. The SEE event orchestrated by the Chemistry Club envisioned an increase for science interactions between various grade levels. Brown said, “ My hope is that these events will open doors to more collaborative learning opportunities within the school district.”