Faculty cleverness demonstrated in in-class/remote science projects

student with cake and frostingWho knew the inside of the Earth could taste so delicious? But what’s more obvious is the cleverness of Minisink Valley faculty who find ways to engage students, whether they’re in the classroom or home.

Nicole Lee’s sixth-grade students have been studying the Earth’s interior through interactive presentations, discussion boards, breakout rooms, explorational technology forums and even parodies.

They learned there’s three main parts to the Earth’s structure: The crust, mantle, and core. The crust is the Earth’s outer layer we live on; the mantle lies just below it, consisting of hot, molten watermelon projectrock; and the core is at the Earth’s center, made up of a liquid metal outer core and a solid metal inner core.

“I always thought I would dig to another continent, not the mantle,” said student Christopher Pauls.

After exploring earth’s composition, Mrs. Lee challenged her students to find creative ways to student with cupcakesrepresent each layer of Earth.  And, they did…with food!

“Incorporating various educational instructional strategies allows for all learners to excel in their own way,” she said. “My goal is to provide a better understanding of the material being presented, while enriching the minds of our students in new and engaging ways. Science is all around us, even in a watermelon!”