First, Second & Third Graders Visit the Bio Bus
by Julienne Dweck, [email protected]
Students in grades one through three were able to board the BioBus this past Monday. The BioBus is a 1974 transit bus that has been transformed into a learning, mobile science lab. It is equipped with research-grade microscopes, powered by solar and plant energy, and staffed by Ph.D. scientists. The students were able to use high grade microscopes to look up close at Daphnia, a tiny and semitransparent freshwater crustacean, often used as food for aquarium fish. They identified the different parts of the Daphnia’s body, and because of the transparency of the Daphnia’s outer shell, were able to also identify the major body organs! Students also explored many different ordinary objects under a microscope, noting how very complex something as simple as a shoelace or fingertip is up close. The students left the bus buzzing with excitement and a new appreciation for how “cool” science is, encouraged by their positive interactions with scientist role-models with many students proclaiming, “I want to be a scientist!” after their experience.
Thank you Biobus!