Youth Exploring Science - Staff

Staff Blog

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 09:43:16 -0700

This is the blog of the adult staff in the School and Community Partnerships department of the Saint Louis Science Center.

Click here to read the staff's biographies.

Week One: Summer at Gateway

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:04:19 -0700

We wrapped up the first week at Gateway Homeless Services today. We began teaching late last week so we've had some extra time to get to know our group. It's a small group of kids who are coming but they are having a blast. We've built our terrariums already and once we get the supplies we'll be moving forward with the aquarium piece of our ecocolumns. There's been some adjustments to the curriculum based on the ages of the regular participants and we've already learned valuable lessons about classroom management and self control. I'm really proud of this group of teens. They went into a situation with which most of them were unfamiliar, and have been able to handle themselves like mature young men and women. They're also developing relationships with the youth who come to class. One of the most important things I've noticed so far is how hard they are working to make sure they support each other as a team. During our daily debriefing sessions they always point out what good things they saw each other doing and offer teaching tips to each other for areas of improvement. Go team!

Summer 2008 Prep

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:09:15 -0700

I'm pretty excited about this summer's program! I've got a group of really strong, dedicated teens who I think are going to make a real impact on the youth we're working with off site this summer. We're going to be teaching Ecosystems, intergrating Math and Literacy into our curriculum via After School Math Plus and Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading. Meghan (she's my coworker at the site) will be working on a research project with the teens and the youth at the site revolving around pollution and its enviornmental effects in neighborhoods. In related news...I was recognized by a young student in public the other day for being "one of those Science Center people" who taught at a particular school last summer. Our program must really be making impressions. :)

Arrested!

Thu, 01 May 2008 15:55:44 -0700

It might not make staff picture of the week (Cindy!) but this week I was volunteered to be "arrested" for a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I was picked up in the Taylor lobby in a car by a fireman, handcuffed, dressed in stripes, and hauled off to the Hill where I had to try and make bail! They took pity on me and drove me back here ( in a limo!!) after serving some time. Thank you to everyone who helped me to raise money for the youth in St. Louis!

I think I look good in black and white!! :)

City Science Teens Present On Their Semester Projects

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:29:52 -0700

April 26th was the last weekend of Learning Labs for the spring 2008 semester and City Science teens spent the day finalizing their presentations on semester projects. Teens worked very hard to create poster presentations and interactive activities to demoonstrate what material they have spent the semester learning. Presentations were on topics such as the Caracal Cat, Lipids, Proteins, Sugars, Starches, other Food Nutrients, Food Borne Illnesses, Home Decor and Design, and the Candy Lab.

Click here for more photos from this week's final lab and presentations.

City Science Prepares To Present

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:39:57 -0700

Last week in City Science, teens worked in their groups to prepare presentations regarding their spring semester projects in the YES program. City Science A and B will present to each other during the last period of learning labs on April 26th. Teens will also lead the groups in activities related to their semester projects. Check out photos below of teens preparing to present!

Click READ MORE to uncover information about the MLK Dream Keeper's Fair, which our teens attended after preparing their presentations...and as always, click here to viewmore photos from this week!

College Prep Role-Plays And Relaxes

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:32:27 -0700

Juniors and Seniors role-played potential roommate conflicts this weekend during College Prep. The activity was designed to get teens thinking about living on a college campus and the different types of students one may encounter. Teens acted out scenarios with Popular Pat, Homesick Henry, and others!

Freshmen and Sophomores took a break from resume development to relax. Part of being a successful college student is knowing what stresses you out and how to handle that stress. The teens participated in stretching activities, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided meditation. These are just examples of emthods people can use to relax.

If you have any questions about College Prep, please email me at tmulhall@slsc.org and click here to view more photos from this week!

City Science (B) Learns The Science Of Candy

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:02:42 -0700

Teens in the lab developed their own methods of creating candy during Learning Labs this past weekend. Rather than providing teens with directions and procedures, teens were divided into pairs and worked together to create Lollipops and Bubble Gum knowing only the ingredients to be used (and not proportions, amounts, etc). Teens used various creative methods to create their candy concoctions and worked as a group to determine the best way to develop their items. The groups really enjoyed the freedom to create their own flavors in their own manner.

View the rest of the pictures from this lab by clicking here. See you next week!

investigations in April

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:38:35 -0700

In today's lab the teens updated each other on where they are in the development of their investigations. Each group reviewed their process and their challenges with the other smaller groups in order to figure out what their strengths and weakness areas were. I feel like it gave some groups a chance to collaborate with the others, and feel connected to the larger idea of group processing. However, we did discover that some groups are going to have a harder time in developing their questions to be something that visitors can interact with.

The MyTracs teens from the Saint Louis Public Library started three wikis to assist the teens in researching their various topics. Crazy about Caracals, Arch-itecture, and Space within Space. The YES teens used some of their information and resource suggestions, but found that the website isn't compatible with dialogue between the teen groups so they emailed the Director of the program with their questions and comments.

As the semester winds down we are going to keep working diligently on creating questions we can investigate, and creating a station where teens can involve visitors in more than a poster presentation.

City Science Creates Glue From Milk

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:16:46 -0700

Teens in the wet lab experimented with milk this weekend. Milk contains a protein called "casein" which an ingredient found in common non-food products such as glue, combs, buttons, paints, plastics, and many more. Starting by heating a milk and vinegar solution to separate the casein, teens combined the casein curds with baking soda and water to create various glue solutions. The teens used skim milk and whole milk, but you have to ask them which one worked better and if any work better than regular glue.

Click here for more photos from the Milk Glue activity. As always, if you have any questions about the material, you can email me at tmulhall@slsc.org.

The Herp Society Visits The YES Teens

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:41:14 -0700

This past weekend, our YES teens had a visit from the St. Louis Herpetological Society, an organization that educates the community on caring for reptilies and amphbians and other exotic pets. This organization also adopts animals that can no longer be cared for by their owners and seeks to find them homes.

Karen from the Herp Society brought with her two turtles, a Urimastyx, Blue Tongued Skink, Bull Python, Hog-nosed snake, leucistic tree snake, a baby Crocodile, and an 8-ft Albino Python! The new teens showed some courage and passed the Albino Python through the rows!

You can view more photos of the visit from the St. Louis Herpetological Society by clicking here.

Lipid Extraction In The City Science Lab

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:06:52 -0700

On March 8th, our teens conducted an additional Lipid (fat) Extraction experiment in the lab. In this experiment, the teens extracted and examined the fat in chocolate, potato chips, and sunflower seeds. In chocolate, sugar and cocoa are dispersed in a crystallized fat matrix. To keep the fat from separating out of the chocolate, an emulsifier called lecithin is used. The fat in the potato chip is mostly on the surface of the chip from the frying process. The fat in the sunflower seed is in the seed itself. The cooking oils that we use come primarily from nuts and seeds, found in corn, soybean, and peanut oil. The teens used concentrated Acetone (found in Nail polish) to extract and view fats that are ordinarily invisible to the naked eye.

Click READ MORE below to read about our safety lesson from this weeks' lab and why the teens know to wear protective clothing when dealing with harsh chemicals...To view more photos from this week, click here. As always, if you want to know more about this week's lab, just drop me an email at tmulhall@slsc.org.

Science Firsthand March group meeting

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:41:55 -0700

Hello all! We had our monthly meeting for March on Saturday March 15th. Attendance wasn't what we were hoping for but for those that did come it was a fun time investigation pin ball machines! We started with a peg board, built a ramp and added traps and tunnels for our balls to travel through using various household materials. One of the groups wondered if there was another way to get the ball to travel without putting it down the ramp. They were able to create a spring loaded launcher using a spring, a machine washer, and a hose pipe. Check out our participants blogs here. Check back again for pictures of our machines. Our next group meeting is the third Saturday of April, April 19th.

City Science "A" Update

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:49:09 -0700

Things are progressing for City Science "A" teens. Last week they narrowed down their investigatable questions and e-mailed them to Saint Louis Public Library's MyTracs Teens, who are going to assist City Science "A" teens with research through a Wiki they have developed. This is a wonderful opportunity for both cohorts of teens to collaborate and apply shared information to their respective projects. Stay tuned to hear updates from City Science "A" teens!

Sugars, proteins, and lipids....OH MY!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:13:59 -0700

On March 1st, City Science teens completed an experiment in the lab on nutrient identification in foods. Nutrients such as sugars, proteins, and lipids can be detected by the use of an indicator. In this lab, the teens used various chemical indicators and compared the results to "control" samples to determine whether a nutrient was found in that sample. Teens tested chocolate chips, peanuts, and cereal.

Check out more photos from this lab by clicking here.