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Environmental Science Academy Students Get a Jolt Out of Exhibit For Jason Project
When it comes to lightning, students in the Environmental Science Academy at Putnam/ Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services could tell Ben Franklin a thing or two. Students in the advanced placement environmental science course at BOCES designed and mounted a hands-on exhibit on the causes and effects of lightning for the Jason Project. The Jason Project is an innovative science program founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, renowned for his discovery of the Titanic, to spark students' interest in science, math and technology.
This year's program examines everything there is to know about weather including heat waves, carbon sinks, weather forecasting, storm formation, changes in migration patterns, and what humans need to do to prevent catastrophic global warming. The students's exhibit on lightning includes a Van de graff generator, which allows visitors to generate a spark of electricity. The generator, which is roughly the size of a table lamp, carries an electrical charge up from the base to a dome at the top. A copper wire and spinning metal wheel separate the protons from the electrons, resulting in a a buildup of a positive charge in the dome. When something with a negative charge- like a light bulb- is brought close to the generator, it causes a spark to jump from the generator to the negatively charged item.
"The exhibit is basically everything you would want to know about lightning," says Zach Berger, a Hendrick Hudson student in the program. "We wanted to have something kids could do to help them understand electricity better." Zach is one five students participating in the Environmental Science Academy this year. The yearlong program offers college-bound, high school seniors an in-depth exploration of ecological concepts, aquatic studies, plant and animal science and biotechnology.
Students visit places like Teatown Lake Reservation, the Wolf Rehabilitation Center, as well as doing field experiments in water testing. All students also participate in internships with organizations such as the Norwalk Aquarium. Paula Cignarale of Hendrick Hudson High School says she took the course because she wants to become an Earth Science teacher some day and she wanted to have a more meaningful senior year.
Students who successfully complete the program have the opportunity to earn nine college credits including three credits in science from the State University of New York, and three credits in English and three credits in public policy from Syracuse University. The Jason Project exhibit room is open to the public Saturday, Feb 3rd, and will host groups from area schools throughout the next two weeks. The fee is $3 for children and $4 for adults.
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