LYNNWOOD—
"They're so excited!" says 6th Grade Teacher Karin Stone. One of my students Abby said: 'This is so fun I don't want to go to PE!'"What's more exciting than recess? What could it be? A circus? A carnival?
Actually, it's a lesson in science and learning about DNA, and the folks you're about to meet know how to make it fun!
"It's kind of stringy fluffy and kind of reminds me of snot," begins Microbiologist Dr. Amanda Jones. "Use your teeth to scrape the cells off your cheek."
Parked on Martha Lake Elementary's playground in Lynnwood is Seattle Children's Brand New Science Adventure Lab. It's a near replica of an actual lab at Children's Research Institute. It's equipped with all the real stuff, and the real pros.
"So what if I told you he studies brains?" asks Dr. Jones talking about one of her colleagues. "Oh! Cool!" chirps a sea of kids.
"Reading about DNA is one thing but actually looking at it in a tube makes it seem so much more real to you," says Dr. Jones.
The Science Lab is the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest and the first one in the country sponsored by a children's hospital and it follows right along with the stuff these kids are learning in their classrooms. And they are learning fast:
"What does lysis mean?" asks Dr. Jones.
"It means to like blow up the cells," correctly answers one 6th grade boy.
"Anytime kids have a chance to do hands on science it's phenomenal," says Stone.
"Schools that maybe don't have the resources to buy kits and microscopes and fancy equipment can have the opportunity have their kids have a hands-on science experience," adds Dr. Jones.
"Whoa!" shouts one kid as he watches strands of DNA clump together in his own personal tube. "It looks like cotton candy."
An hour later: the lesson is over, but the possibilities have just begun.
"I probably want to be a scientist," says one boy.
"I want to be a zoologist," says a girl.
"I want to be like a marine biologist," adds another.
"It's fun," smiles Dr. Jones. "It's great to be able to share our enthusiasm and passion for science."
This is just Day 2 of a year-long program where this mobile unit will be traveling across the state visiting some 200 classes and 5,000 students. That shows you why you can bet this program will be back again next year.
