Berner Middle School students were feeling the pressure in their science classes, as they participated in an experiment inspired by a book.
All sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in the Massapequa School District, along with middle school teachers and administrators, received a copy of One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt at the beginning of the school year. As part of Berner’s One School, One Book initiative, lessons based upon the book are planned in every subject.
In science classes, students recently participated in an air pressure experiment. Each group had to fill a soda bottle halfway with water, place two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a balloon and crush them, then place the balloon over the bottle opening. Students observed the chemical reaction caused by the carbon dioxide gas that was produced, which expanded the balloon.
The experiment was based upon a line in the book, “I know things are hard for you, but I think the release would make you feel better. You know, like shaking a Coke bottle. The pressure builds up.” After conducting the experiment, students analyzed and discussed the results.
This is the fourth year of the One School, One Book initiative at Berner, with a different reading selection each year. The goal is to create passionate readers and good citizens through books that have positive life messages.
—Submitted by the
Massapequa School District
