Granite Lab
The Granite Lab is the wet lab of the Science Center. Exceptionally well stocked with professional glassware, microscopes, scales, lighting, counter top equipment and safety gear, it provides a wonderful extension for our science classrooms.
Current projects in the Granite Lab:
Introduction to Life Science
March, 2024
6th graders are beginning their life science unit with an introduction to microscope use. In the Science Center, students learn and practice proper microscope technique through a series of lab activities. These activities are centered on focusing, magnification and mechanical stage use. Creating a slide with a cut out newspaper 'e' provides an understanding of image orientation. Prepared slides with stacked objects offer a chance to practice focusing skills.
Day 2 in the lab was all about making slides with cover slips, using cell stains and viewing cells under the microscope. Methylene blue stain helps highlight the nucleus of a cheek cell, while iodine is useful in studying plant cells as it will stain starches a blue/black color.
Massachusetts STE Standards:
6.MS-LS1-1. Provide evidence that all organisms (unicellular and multicellular) are made of cells. Clarification Statement: • Evidence can be drawn from multiple types of organisms, such as plants, animals, and bacteria
Which way is up?
Onion cells stained with iodine. Magnification 100x
A cheek cell stained with methylene blue. Magnification 400x
Aquaponics-under the microscope
February, 2024
The gram stained slides are dry and ready for the microscopes. After a quick review of microscope use, we went to work looking for bacteria. The light microscopes provide 40x, 100x, 400x and 1,000x magnification. The 1,000x lens requires oil immersion for proper focusing. Students added this technique to their growing list of lab skills.
Using identifying characteristics such as size, shape and arrangement, students communicate what they observe in words and drawings.
Possible nitrosomonas siting! These bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite.
Aquaponics-Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria
February, 2024
A few images from student slides.
The 8th grade aquaponic systems depend on populations of nitrifying bacteria to convert ammonia from the fish into nitrates that the plants can take up. These bacteria species are gram negative and rod shaped. In addition to gram stain, the size and arrangement of the bacteria can help in identification of the species.
The diagram shows the role each type of bacteria plays in the conversion of nitrogen in the aquaponic systems.
Gram positive streptobacillus undergoing binary fission, a form of asexual reproduction.
Gram negative cocci.
Gram negative diplobacillus are viewed as potential nitrobacter species.
aquaponics-gram staining
February, 2024
The 8th graders are learning a procedure developed in 1884 by Hans Christian Gram.
Gram staining is a method used to determine the chemical makeup of the cell wall of a bacteria, which is useful in identification. Many bacteria have a thick outer layer of peptidoglycan, which helps protect the cell from the environment. This layer will stain purple (gram positive). Some bacteria have a thinner layer of peptidoglycan inside an outer membrane. The outer membrane does not pick up the purple gram stain, and will instead appear pink after being counter stained (gram negative).
The 8th grade aquaponic systems depend on populations of nitrifying bacteria to convert ammonia from the fish into nitrates that the plants can take up. These bacteria are gram negative and rod shaped.
Aquaponics-Bacteria Counting and Slide preparation
February, 2024
The bacteria cultures from their serial dilutions are ready for counting, with each visible colony representing a bacteria that reproduced asexually. Students see first hand the benefits of asexual reproduction-organisms can produce a lot of offspring in a short amount of time, with not a lot of energy required.
Using the dissecting scopes, students choose colonies for more in depth study. These colonies are added to microscope slides for gram staining.
Getting some help with colony description
Removing cells from colony 1 with surgical precision.
Massachusetts STE Standards:
8.MS-LS3-2. Construct an argument based on evidence for how asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation. Compare and contrast advantages and disadvantages of asexual and sexual reproduction.
Judging by the crowd on the left side of the plate, the 1:10 and 1:100 serial dilutions were done to perfection.
Aquaponics-serial dilutions
January 2024
8th graders are putting their math skills to work in the Granite Lab making serial dilutions. In order to quantify the amount of bacteria in their aquaponic systems, students are setting up serial dilutions of their tank water, creating dilutions from 1:10 through 1:10,000. Each dilution is plated on nutrient agar and incubated. After 24-48 hours, the cultures are observed and the bacteria colonies counted. Using conversions, the students estimate the number of bacteria in their systems.
# of colonies counted 1,000 uL Dilution = bacteria
volume in uL plated x 1 mL x 1 ml
Total system bacteria: Bacteria/ml x 20,000 ml (5 gallon tank)
OR
Bacteria/ml x 40,000 ml (10 gallon tank)
Do you see any bacteria?
AQUAPONICS-WATER CHEMISTRY
January, 2024
This year's aquaponics program is starting strong. Frames are built, plants are in and the systems are running in the BioLab.
Before adding fish to the systems, a check on pH and alkalinity is in order. The pH is a measure of how acidic or basic the water is. The goldfish will adjust to many pH levels, but do best in a pH level between 6.5-8. Alkalinity measures the ability of the water to buffer or neutralize changes in pH. Although goldfish can adapt to many different pH levels, they are less able to tolerate changing pH levels. Keeping the alkalinity of the water in the 60-100ppm range will help keep the pH of the system stable.
Demonstrating proper titration technique.
All eyes on alkalinity. Making sure pH and alkalinity are in the proper range for the fish.
Lego chemical reactions
December 11-14, 2023
7th graders investigate the question 'What defines a chemical reaction?' During the wet lab, students combine chemicals and observe a reaction. Student pairs are then asked to choose among the chemicals used in the first chemical reaction to make two more mixtures/reactions. The goal of these experiments is to determine which combination of materials creates a temperature change (heat), a color change (yellow), and which combination produces a gas.
The key understanding of the lab is that not all chemical reactions create heat, a color change or a temperature change. The one thing that all chemical reactions have in common is that a new substance is produced.
On the second day of the lab, students tackle separating the solution of products from the reaction. Using the property of solubility, students use filter paper to separate salt and chalk. Lego bricks are used to model the reaction at the molecular level, demonstrating how atoms can be combined to make a multitude of compounds, each with unique properties. Modeling the reactants and products lets students visualize the Law of Conservation of Mass which states that in any chemical reaction, mass is conserved.
A final day of investigation involves looking at the salt crystals under the microscope and shaping the chalk into a usable stick.
Massachusetts STE Standards:
6.MS-PS1-6. Plan and conduct an experiment involving exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions to measure and describe the release or absorption of thermal energy.
6.MS-PS1-8(MA). Conduct an experiment to show that many materials are mixtures of pure substances that can be separated by physical means into their component pure substances.
8.MS-PS1-1. Develop a model to describe that (a) atoms combine in a multitude of ways to produce pure substances which make up all of the living and nonliving things that we encounter, (b) atoms form molecules and compounds that range in size from two to thousands of atoms, and (c) mixtures are composed of different proportions of pure substances.
8.MS-PS1-5. Use a model to explain that atoms are rearranged during a chemical reaction to form new substances with new properties. Explain that the atoms present in the reactants are all present in the products and thus the total number of atoms is conserved.
IMG_7978.MOV
light wave mini golf
November 17, 2023
Opening day of the Light Wave Mini Golf Course in the Granite Lab! 6th grade Science teacher Lisa Warren helped create this challenging activity to reinforce student understanding of wave reflection. Team members work together positioning mirrors to reflect light waves around and through obstacles at each hole.
Massachusetts STE Standards:
6.MS-PS4-2. Use diagrams and other models to show that both light rays and mechanical waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Clarification Statements:
• Materials may include solids, liquids, and gases.
• Mechanical waves (including sound) need a material (medium) through which they are transmitted.
• Examples of models could include drawings, simulations, and written descriptions.
IMG_7919.MOVIMG_7921.MOVScience and engineering practices include engaging in an argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating and communicating information. Working in groups allows for this type of discourse.
Checking for success.
The light must travel through all of the tunnels.
Using line-of-sight helps this team place the mirrors on hole 6,
Slinky sculptures at the second hole require a few extra mirrors to navigate. This team is working all the angles.
WHAT IS A WAVE?
November 6, 2023
6th graders experiment with mechanical waves in a fluid. Can you explain the behavior of the pom poms?
Massachusetts STE Standards:
6.MS-PS4-1. Use diagrams of a simple wave to explain that (a) a wave has a repeating pattern with a specific amplitude, frequency, and wavelength, and (b) the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy of the wave.
IMG_7596.MOVIMG_7590.MOVIMG_7592.MOV
IMG_7595.MOV
Using objects to track wave motion leads to interesting discussions.
A cylinder of ice chills the water, Hot water fills the cylinder at the other end of the tank. Food coloring helps show the motion of the water.
Modeling Convection Currents
October 2023
8th graders investigating how temperature differences can drive global convection currents, helping transfer energy through the Earth system.
Massachusetts STE Standards:
8.MS-ESS2-6. Describe how interactions involving the ocean affect weather and climate on a regional scale, including the influence of the ocean temperature as mediated by energy input from the Sun and energy loss due to evaporation or redistribution via ocean currents
New Countertops Added
October 2023
Brand new countertops in the Granite Lab, Thanks Phil and the crew from DPW!
Rainbow Lab
September 2023
As an introduction to the Chemistry Lab, 6th graders experiment with measurement. The word of the day is 'meniscus'!
Modeling winter, noon, new moon @ Good Harbor Beach.
Earth-Moon-Sun System
September 2023
A day at Good Harbor Beach. With prompts such as 'arrange the elements to show summer, midnight, first quarter moon @ Good Harbor Beach,' 8th graders tested their knowledge of the E-M-S system.
Massachusetts STE Standards:
8.MS-ESS1-1b. Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun system to explain the cyclical pattern of seasons, which includes Earth’s tilt and differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year.
8.MS-ESS1-2. Explain the role of gravity in ocean tides, the orbital motions of planets, their moons, and asteroids in the solar system.
Ms. Warren plates while Ms. Martell chooses colonies to transform.
Professional Development
September 2023
The kick off to 12 weeks of Professional Development in the Science Center, funded by Mass Life Sciences.
Mr. Perry and Mr. Brown discover which macromolecules are in their food.
Ms. Wilkinson and Ms. Waitkus have fun testing for sugars.