Spooky Science a Hit in Wantagh Middle School

Sixth- and seventh-grade students in Donna Wyleczuk’s science classes at Wantagh Middle School used a Halloween theme to review important science concepts.

The seventh-graders have been learning about the parts of animal and plant cells. Using Halloween candy, they decorated pre-baked cupcakes, called “cell cakes,” to represent the organelles and cell structures in plants and animals. Writing gel formed the cell membrane, while chocolate eyeballs represented the nucleolus.

The icing on the cupcakes represented the cytoplasm, jellybeans were the mitochondria and candy shoestrings were the endoplasmic reticulum.

“The students had to know what the cell structures look like before identifying them, and they needed to be familiar with the cell process as well,” Wyleczuk explained.

In a sixth-grade class, Wyleczuk instructed the students to measure the mass, density and volume of Halloween objects. The students, dressed in costume for trick-or-treat day, measured plastic rats, fluffy spiders, skulls and small pumpkins.

“These projects make learning the information they will be tested on much more fun,” Wyleczuk said.