Students teach nanoscience at the Morris Museum

On Saturday March 4th, Morristown High School students taught young children about the wonders of the nano world and its latest science and technologies. They weren’t alone as their teacher, Mariel Kolker, managed and ensured that everything ran evenly. The students of Morristown High School brought their knowledge and information from their class to demonstrate the fascinating complexities of nanoscience.
These students are part of a new class at Morristown High School called Nanoscale Science & Engineering, in which they learn all about how materials and substances change their behavior when brought down to the nanoscale. Looking beyond the way materials behave at the macro (human) scale, they explore things like the effects of viscosity and movement at the molecular level, the behavior of materials at the nanoscale and how they react to light, forces, etc. Students applied what they learned as they developed and delivered kid-friendly exhibits for young children to explore at the Morris Museum.

From buckyballs to sticky hands, kids were introduced to the nanoworld through fun activities which they enjoyed as much as their parents did. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” said Arielle West, while her daughters were changing red gold nanoparticles to blue.
The Nanoscale Science and Engineering class will be revisiting the Morris Museum again in March 18, 11:00am to 1:00pm, with new exhibits for children to enjoy. If their March 4th exhibits will be a predictor of future success then with more activities and learning which had a 97% feedback from parents as an 8+ out of 10.
This is the third year for this revolutionary course at Morristown High School, which was developed by Ms. Kolker through a partnership with Stevens Institute of Technology. The project component is something Ms. Kolker experimented with, and is now a fixed part of the class. “Students always surprise themselves with how much they actually understand about the unique behavior of materials at the nanoscale,” says Ms. Kolker. “Explaining complex phenomena to 4-6 year olds is not easy, but they consistently do well. If we excite even one child about science, then the endeavor is a success.”
These Morristown High School students will be returning to the Morris Museum on Saturday, March 18th, from 11am - 1pm and will have new and exciting exhibits for museum attendees of all ages.
This project was made possible by a generous grant from the Morris Educational Foundation.
For more information on these events contact Mariel.Kolker@msdk12.net