By Amy Wallot
amy.wallot@education.ky.gov

Science experiments are underway every day in schools across Kentucky. Students enjoy the hands-on activities and teachers like to get in on the fun, too. This is a small collection of science I’ve seen happening over the past few months.

A small group of teachers recently gathered at the University of Kentucky for a climate science workshop. Middle and high school teachers participated in hands-on experiments and group discussions. The workshop was a joint effort between the UK College of Agriculture and the UK College of Education.

Students in Tawnya Boyd’s 7th-grade science class at Deming School (Robertson County) tried to keep penguins made of ice from melting as part of a lesson on heat transfer, conductors and insulation. Students constructed small, house-like structures to fit the ice cube penguins in and placed them under heat lamps to test how long it would take the penguins to melt.

Egg candling is a favorite experiment of students in Joann Hall’s 6th-grade science class at Roy G. Eversole Middle School (Hazard Independent). Students use an egg candler to observe the eggs until they turn into chicks as a lesson on life science. This year, students were surprised to find an egg containing two embryos.

North Hardin High School (Hardin County) science teacher Laura Lang checks the temperature difference between air and air enriched with CO2 during a climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

North Hardin High School (Hardin County) science teacher Laura Lang checks the temperature difference between air and air enriched with CO2 during a climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Vint Collins, an 8th-grade science teacher at Leestown Middle School (Fayette County), talks faculty member George Wagner (not pictured) during the climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Wagner lead the experiments during the workshop. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Vint Collins, an 8th-grade science teacher at Leestown Middle School (Fayette County), talks to faculty member George Wagner (not pictured) during the climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Wagner led the experiments during the workshop. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Jerri Dyer, a science teacher at West Jessamine Middle School (Jessamine County), measures melting ice during an experiment demonstrating the affects of soot on icebergs during a climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Jerri Dyer, a science teacher at West Jessamine Middle School (Jessamine County), measures melting ice during an experiment demonstrating the affects of soot on icebergs during a climate science workshop at the University of Kentucky. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 14, 2012

Seventh-grade students Dakota Moore and Jimmie King construct a model house for their ice penguin during Tawnya Boyd's science class at Deming School (Robertson County). Photo by Amy Wallot, May 14, 2012

Seventh-grade students Dakota Moore and Jimmie King construct a model house for their ice penguin during Tawnya Boyd’s science class at Deming School (Robertson County). Photo by Amy Wallot, May 14, 2012

Seventh-grade student David Kennedy places houses for penguins made of ice under heat during an experiment on a lesson involving heat transfer, conductors and insulation at Deming School (Robertson County). Photo by Amy Wallot, May 14, 2012

Seventh-grade student David Kennedy places houses for penguins made of ice under heat during an experiment involving heat transfer, conductors and insulation at Deming School (Robertson County). Photo by Amy Wallot, May 14, 2012

Sixth-grade student Gavin Franks examines an egg with two embryos during JoAnn Hall's science class at Roy G. Eversole Middle School (Hazard Ind.). Photo by Amy Wallot, March 28, 2012

Sixth-grade student Gavin Franks examines an egg with two embryos during JoAnn Hall’s science class at Roy G. Eversole Middle School (Hazard Ind.). Photo by Amy Wallot, March 28, 2012