China Grove Middle School students in Joshua Welch and Allyson Neves’s classrooms have enjoyed learning through engaging lab experiences! Science opens many doors for students to make connections in their learning, and labs provide invaluable hands-on experience.

Welch introduced the Strawberry DNA Lab to CGMS 7th graders. Quarter 2 for his class was devoted to learning about genetics. The classes learned what makes them, them!

Welch taught them, “You can predict genetics but never be certain of the outcomes.”

This is a timely lesson in middle school, as students are also often learning about accepting themselves and others for some of these inherited traits.

By doing the strawberry lab, the students had a chance to see the fruit’s DNA. He picked this fruit because strawberries carry EIGHT copies of each chromosome, which gives the students an excellent chance of being able to see at least one.

Have you ever considered becoming a surgeon? During clubs this quarter, Neves leads a club where students who are interested in the medical field learn about possible careers while also learning about the human body through virtual reality, x-rays, and dissection!

One way Mrs. Neves showcased anatomy to the students was to dissect squids. The club is called Operation, and students were able to “operate” to see major organs and help build understanding of anatomy and body systems. Through the dissection, the class was able to examine the gills (how it breathes), siphon (how it swims away quickly), three hearts (circulation of blood), the beak (how it eats), the esophagus (carries the food to the stomach) and the pen (internal shell of the squid).

This was a perfect experience for students to have to determine how hands-on in the medical field they have interested in being, and the students enjoyed the experience!

Both classes have enjoyed positive experiences and outcomes from their experiments and look forward to their next lab opportunity.

Press release courtesy of Amanda Aldridge.