Blog

Worthy of the Queen

Did you know that the Queen of England used to use jewelry made from milk? Seventh graders tried their own hands at making casein plastic, then manipulated a variable in the recipe to do their own experiment on how to make the most curds. They also used paper clips as a model to help the better understand how the protein molecules in milk link together to form casein polymers. 

Speed Demon

Seventh graders had a great time on their field trip to Argonne National Laboratory. They got an inside look at where thousands of scientists work, and they got a crash course in making batteries. Each team then competed to build the best battery to help their car race down the track. Science is fun!

Making a Difference

Sixth graders tried tackling the issue of climate change right here at school with their end-of-unit project. In groups, they did online research, collected data (such as counting trees, as you can see in the photo), wrote a logistics plan, and made promotional materials. The top team from each homeroom got to present their ideas to Ms. Nakayama, and hopefully we'll start to see some changes around Budlong before long. 

Congratulations to the top vote earners:

• 407: Shifting Gears

• 405: Meatless Meals, Anyone? 

In the Dark

Having learned all about climate change, sixth graders have now been “hired” as civil engineers by the company Futura to design sustainable roof modifications for the city of Solton, Arizona. To help them better understand albedo values, they used lux meters to measure the albedo of several different surfaces in the classroom.

Almost-Explosions

Although nothing actually exploded, students sure did have fun inflating balloons and ziploc bags using chemicals. Learning about the signs of chemical changes is pretty interesting when you get to feel heating, see color changes, and watch bubbling.

Cookie Thief

Seventh graders started their chemistry unit by helping solve the whodunnit mystery of the cookie thief. They had to identify the physical and chemical properties of five common ingredients, then analyze which most closely matched the mystery substance that the thief had left behind at the crime scene. Thankfully, their excellent CER reports helped Detective Scheiber close the case.

When I Grow Up

Homeroom 408 rocked their theater performance from Matilda! Although we all had "When I Grow Up" stuck in our heads for weeks, it was well worth it to be able to enjoy their talent during the annual Budlong Meets Broadway show. Thanks to Ms. Teresa for preparing our students so well!

When I Grow Up... for Real

Ms. Dingle planned a fun post-secondary week for students in May. Students got to hear, see, and experience what it would be like to be a fire protection engineer, a vidoegrapher, a professional musician (as in this picture), and much more. They also enjoyed a scavenger hunt around the school with their primary buddies to learn more about teachers' career paths before Budlong.

Spring Springs in Springfield

We enjoyed a nice day exploring various sites around our state capital during the annual seventh grade trip to Springfield. We toured two state capitol buildings, walked through two Lincoln home neighborhoods, and even got to have two tasty slices of pizza for dinner.

The Aroma of Science

Students wrapped up their rocks and natural resources unit with one final hands-on activity: the edible rock cycle. They got to use a food item of their choice to send through the geologic processes that form rocks -- melting (via a hot plate), weathering (breaking with water bottles), etc. The combined smells of melting chocolate, cheese, candy, and marshmallows was certainly something!

Future App Developers

Seventh graders put their creativity to work designing apps that could help people monitor and reduce their impact on the environment. Groups could choose to hand-draw, digitally design, or even code their apps, and this year we had the most impressive apps yet. Students made very realistic apps that could, if distributed on app stores, really make a difference!

Check out two digital examples here (from Adeline) and here (from Ian, Roxy, and Aibike).

Happy Earth Day!

Sixth and seventh grade students alike celebrated Earth Day by learning how to accurately sort their waste. They explored the Chicago guide to recycling, then did a trash/recycling relay race. We made good use of the warm day outside to sort recyclables from trash items. Hopefully they will teach some of this to you at home to improve your family's practices as well!

Warm It Up

Sixth grade students tried to create the greenhouse effect in beakers in class. It didn't go so well the first day, but they learned a lot about the importance of understanding and adapting directions, and they tried again the second day. Results were still mixed, but they controlled variables much better the second time around, thereby practicing an important part of experimentation.

Human Blender

Seventh grade students tried their hands at recycling paper... by hand. It was quite a squishy process, as they had to be "human blenders" to shred and mush paper soaked in water. They were able to select their own seeds to embed in the paper, making it plantable. This activity helped them learn that recycling, while helpful, actually still takes a lot of resources to do!

Spring Has Sprung!

To celebrate the arrival of spring (and spring break!), we took science outside for the Friday before break. Together, each class created a garden scavenger hunt, and then we explored the garden to find items. Some fun finds included insects under logs, buds on trees, and a bird nest.

Rock Detectives

Seventh graders started a new unit on rocks and natural resources recently. They took on the role of a rock detective, first honing their skills as rock identifiers, then applying those skills to solve the case of the mystery rock. Did the hikers find diamonds while out on their hike? Ask a seventh grader to find out!

Break It Up

To simulate the formation of sedimentary rocks, seventh graders used hammers, jars, and Jolly Ranchers. We took our learning outside to enjoy a little taste of spring -- and because hammering and shaking candy in jars is loud! We'll check back after spring break to see how the compression and cementation processes are going with the candy rocks.

Rock Journey

Students took off their human hats and put on their rock hats for a trip on a rock journey. They traveled through billions of years of time in just 30 minutes, rolling a die to find out what process would happen to them next as they changed through time. 

Hero or Villain?

Sixth graders concluded their unit on genetics by researching a genetically-modified organism. They created trading cards for their GMOs, then presented them to their classmates. After analyzing the benefits and risks, students finished by evaluating whether their league of GMOs was more heroic or villainous. 

Hazard-Free Zone

Students wrapped up their plate hazard projects by pitching their new proposals to a small group of wealthy investors. With the goal of increasing equity in countries disproportionately affected by plate hazards, their presentations were thought-provoking.

Operation Airlift

For the first time, Budlong students got to participate in Operation Airlift, a teen program with the Adler Planetarium. During the day-long engineering challenge on a recent Saturday, 12 7th and 8th graders collaborated with volunteer STEM mentors to design, build, and tackle challenges using remote-controlled airships. They had fun tinkering with the airship to earn Airlift bucks.

Clones?!

Sixth graders differentiated asexual and sexual reproduction using an online interactive. They were intrigued by some of the ways that organisms can reproduce, especially animals that can clone themselves!

Whodunnit?

After completing a self-directed learning path on Punnett squares, sixth graders got down to business solving a Harry Potter murder mystery. There were four suspects, and students were each given expert roles in the investigation. They analyzed the genetic data for the culprit and the suspects, then presented their detective reports on who murdered poor Mrs. Norris. Ask your student to find out whodunnit!

Waves of Water

Seventh graders enjoyed making waves as they explored the difference between wind-driven waves and tsunamis. Our tables have never been more covered in water... or cleaner at the end!

Heads or Tails?

Sixth grade students learned how parents pass on alleles randomly... and what better way to learn that than with a coin toss? Students did dozens of trials, ultimately learning that  heterozygous parents will result in a 3:1 ratio of dominant to recessive traits.

Moving Mantle

To help seventh graders experience the unusual state of matter of the asthenosphere (one of the sections of the mantle), they used oobleck, Silly Putty, and cold honey.

Making Connections

Sixth graders have been using K'nex toys to model how protein structures affect silk flexibility traits in spiders. With each experience, they understand more about genetics!

Puzzling It Out

Seventh graders began a new unit on plate tectonics in January. They learned about the original idea of continental drift by putting together their own puzzle of the continents.

Mapping Patterns

Seventh graders explored patterns by mapping the locations of earthquakes along plate boundaries. They did a great job finding similarities between the two.

Crackin' Up

There's nothing like a little whipped cream to liven up the science lab! Seventh graders used whipped cream and graham crackers to model how tectonic plates move along different types of boundaries. They did a fantastic job following instructions with their groups.

Crazy with Crayfish

Back during our dissection unit, students got to explore the external and internal anatomy of a crayfish.

Ribbit Ribbit

Students may have thought they were done examining the crayfish after that dissection ended, but some groups were lucky enough to find a partially-digested crayfish in the stomach of their frog. They were also intrigued by the eggs present inside the females.

Smelling Fishy

We jumped right in after winter break, starting off the first day with dissecting a perch. Students did an excellent job removing scales, examining gills, and opening the side of the fish.

Science Fair

After weeks of work, all middle school students presented their science fair projects to judges during the official Budlong Science Fair! Some of our returning judges commented that they thought this year's projects were even higher-quality than usual -- wow! Their hard work paid off, and we are excited to congratulate the following award winners. (Students marked with an * also will advance to the regional science fair, along with Shawn from 8th grade.)

Overall Winner

Leena

8th Grade

• 1st place: Afiyah* & Keya*

• 2nd place: Panos*

• 3rd place: Ramsha*

7th Grade

• 1st place: Tina & Anyeli

• 2nd place: Nicholas* & Ravenna*

• 3rd place: Remy & Joseph

6th Grade

• 1st place: Cathleen & Cherlon

• 2nd place: Sophia & Gracie

• 3rd place: CK

Runners-Up

• 406: Jason 

• 402: Valentina 

• 401: Ayana & Emily

• 408: Ridgley & Hayat 

• 404: Abraar & Lydia

• 403: Donika & Matias

• 407: Esma, Lilly, & Samar

• 405: Juni & Linden

• English Language Program: Cayla

The Beat Goes On

Sixth graders got to do their first dissection... of a sheep heart! They just finished learning about hearts in STEAM class, so armed with that knowledge as well as what they had learned in our human body unit, they did a nice job exploring the parts of the heart.

Jumpers

Seventh graders are researching and learning about different specimens for the remainder of our dissections. The first student-led dissection was of a grasshopper, and each expert was able to teach their group quite a bit.

Wormin' Around

Seventh grade students started off their dissection unit with an earthworm. Interesting to note that they have neither a stomach nor a heart!

Habitat Design

Sixth graders enjoyed a mid-November trip to Lincoln Park Zoo. They each taught their field trip groups about a different animal, and they got to learn from the zoo educators about how the lion habitat got designed. Then they created their own lion habitat using various favorite features.

Science Fair Begins!

Sixth grade began brainstorming possible questions for science fair by exploring different stations. They made hoop gliders, did a scavenger hunt, and created static electricty.

Field Trip

Seventh grade went to River Park for a second field trip, this time to investigate biodiversity. Students sampled biodiversity in a native planting area as well as in a non-native plant area, then analyzed the differences. It was cool to see the students acting like true ecologists.

Around the World

We celebrated Budlong Beautiful Fest in style, with seventh grade classes representing different Asian countries. It was so fun to see their very interactive presentations come to life, and we also had a good time visiting other grade levels to learn about Japan, Australia, and more. Congratulations to homeroom 403 for winning the Best All-Around award for their presentations on India!

A Classic

Students finished out their hands-on learning about the human body by doing the classic "elephant toothpaste" reaction. They experienced how exothermic reactions get warmer, just as cellular respiration inside our cells releases energy.

Cut It Up

Students got their first taste of dissection by opening up a chicken wing. They enjoyed pulling the tendon to make the wing "wave," and cracking open the bone to see the bone marrow was especially interesting.

Go, Go, Go

To model how different body systems work together, sixth graders did a class simulation. Students acted as the respiratory system to bring in oxygen molecules, and others represented the digestive system breaking down starch molecules into glucose. Finally, the circulatory system delivered molecules to the cells, who kept track of exactly what they needed in order to function.

Breathe It Out

Sixth graders researched how much carbon dioxide is in their breath. They used the chemical indicator bromothymol blue to investigate this, then graphed the class's data to compare the amounts.

Wade in the Water

The seventh grade class participated in the fourth annual trip to River Park this year to explore the Chicago River ecosystem, which is the focus of our first unit. They were very excited to actually catch the non-native species rusty crayfish -- four specimens, no less! -- which they've been learning about in class since the start of September.

Color Magic

It's actually not magic, it's BTB! Bromothymol blue, a chemical indicator, can help us see how much carbon dioxide is in a solution. Students learned the basics of how BTB changes from blue to yellow in order to learn more next week about how much carbon dioxide is in different people's breaths. Stay tuned for the results!

Arrow Mayhem

Seventh graders made a food web for the Chicago River ecosystem. Although some were dismayed by the sheer numbers of criss-crossing arrows in the web, they learned a lot about how interdependent all species are on one another.

Break Down

Sixth grade students continued their investigations into how digestion occurs. Every group designed their own experiment to learn more about how an independent variable of their choice affects chemical digestion. Some tested the amount of acetic acid added, others tried changing liquids, still others increased the amount of "food" (aka tablets).

Break It Down

Sixth graders learned about their first body system, the digestive system, by investigating the effect of mechanical breakdown on chemical breakdown. They enjoyed getting to use scientific tools such as Erlenmeyer flasks and beakers for the first time in the lab.

Bubbling Up

To learn more about how energy affects reproduction, seventh graders added different amounts of sugar to yeast and water, then watched them bubble up. They were amazed not only to see how much they bubbled, but also just to find out that yeast are alive.

Science Fair Begins!

It's never too early to start thinking about science fair, and seventh graders have now gotten three of the eleven steps under their belt. To kick it off, they completed the "I wonder..." challenge. Tina had the most questions, with an incredible 68 in 24 hours!

Plant Away the Worry

Sixth graders reflected on their worries about school, then ripped up those papers and used them to help new plants grow. They each chose seeds, planted them in recycled egg cartons, and decorated the carton with their growth goal for the year. 

Our Local Ecosystem

To kick off learning about ecosystems, seventh graders went out to sketch plants in our newly redesigned garden. They loved their time outside!

Communication, Communication, Communication

Students had fun building their communication skills while trying to master six cup challenges. Using only a rubber band controlled by strings, they had to maneuver cups into pyramids, lines, etc. Verbal and non-verbal communication was the name of the game!

Mystery Cube

Seventh graders attempted to decode two mystery cubes using scientific thinking. Table teams analyzed patterns of evidence and were able to draw conclusions about what must be on the hidden side... even if they never got to see that side, as they were itching to do.

Save Fred!

Sixth grade students worked together to rescue Fred the gummy worm from under his lifeboat. They had a blast using only paper clips to get him into his gummy life preserver.

Pass the Squeeze

Seventh grade ended the first day of school with a fun team-building activity in the MPR. Students raced to "pass the squeeze" down the line to be the first line to grab the stuffed Bulldog at the end.