Discovery Museum Travels to Peaslee

The Discovery Museums located in Acton, MA took a road trip and visited Peaslee Elementary School’s Kindergarten and second grade classes recently as part of enrichment programs sponsored by the school’s PTO.

Denise Cooper, the museum’s instructor, led interactive and engaging programs for both grade levels.

The Light and Color program was presented to the Kindergarten students. This activity driven program delighted the students as they learned that without light, it would be impossible to see colors. Cooper incorporated the use of magnifying glasses and special 3D spectacles so the students had hands on activities throughout the 45-minute program.

Students also had the opportunity to make a spinning wheel to show how colors blend and did a chromatography experiment to separate out the different colors of ink in black markers. "Black has no color," explained Cooper. "It is the absence of color, it absorbs color."

Kindergarten long term substitute, Lisa McKiernan, thought this program was "really great, very much at the kids’ level. It really engaged them and kept their focus. Programs like this gives them wonder."

The second graders attended the Physical Changes of Matter program. "Everything is matter," said Cooper. She discussed solids, liquids and gasses and demonstrated how those can change depending on temperature.

Students were encouraged to think out of the box and come up with ideas to melt an ice cube in four minutes. The rest of the program especially held their interest as they were taught how dry ice can inflate a balloon and pop off the top of a film canister. Also of much interest to the class was how liquid nitrogen can make a carnation shatter and a banana hard enough to hammer a nail into a board.

As with all enrichment programs, they are geared towards the grade level curriculum to enhance what is learned in the classroom as well as to give students the opportunity to visually see how what they have learned comes together in a fun environment.