Abstract

Our outreach program focused on fifth grade students participating in hands-on experiments instructed by iGEM SUNY Oneonta team members. The objective was to spark interest in science while fulfilling New York State required learning outcomes for fifth graders.

This educational outreach program consisted of an interactive presentation and hands-on station workshops. Each workshop included systematic observation, measurement, experiment, and the formulation and testing of a hypothesis.

Students also participated in survey experiment called “The Challenge”. The purpose of this survey was to gather evidence on the understanding and learning that students gained from the program.

Topics covered included the following:

• The Scientific Method
• Different Fields in Science
• States of Matter
• Changes in Matter
• Basic Thermodynamics

Students exercised their understanding of the scientific method by observing, predicting, and recording results. The focus of the lesson was on understanding the different states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas, as well as comprehending changes of state in matter including melting, evaporation, sublimation, and freezing.

The hands-on program covered thermodynamics and how molecules are arranged in a solid, liquid, or gas. They were also asked to predict the outcome when the application of heat or pressure is added, basing their predictions based on the trends they observed.