Concordia’s Middle School Science Labs Prepare Students for High School

Concordia’s Middle School science program prepares students for lab experiments they will conduct in High School.

Recently, Grade 9 science students built solar stills designed to remove salt from water.

The Thunder Bolt spoke with students about how Middle School prepared them for this lab and how the experiments help them better absorb the subject matter - and develop their talent and passion for science. 


Yerin (G9) described the solar-still experiment:

“We started off with an aluminum foil bowl and covered it with bubble wrap because bubble wrap has insulating qualities. Then we placed a plastic bowl inside to collect the fresh water and covered the top with plastic wrap to help collect sunlight and prevent the water from evaporating outside the aluminum bowl. Finally, we placed a tape roll near the center to ensure that the plastic wrap sank towards the bowl and, therefore, collected the fresh water into the plastic bowl instead of falling back out into the aluminum.”

Students shared their reflections on the transition from Middle School to High School science class.

“In Middle School at Concordia, we also did experiments like these in science class. This really prepared us for the experiments in High School because we knew which properties had to be controlled and exactly how to safely perform these experiments.” 
— Chad (G9)

“Concordia allows me to get hands-on experience doing experiments, more so than my previous school. Before we conducted the experiment, we also learned how to properly plan and prepare it. Then we tested our hypothesis to see if it was right or wrong. Concordia’s teaching program allows us to test our science planning skills because we don’t just follow one model; we try many different ways to reach the same solution.” 
— Bao Anh (G9)

“In Grade 8 at Concordia, we learned how to set instructions for experiments and then we conducted those experiments. That has helped us in our High School biology class because we now know how to plan and conduct lab experiments on our own.” 
— Hwisang (G9)

“Compared to labs at my previous school, the solar-still experiment was relevant to the corresponding chapter in our textbook and the information we were studying. It helped me understand the process of collecting data, planning and observing, and better comprehend the material.” 
— Clara (G9)

Learn more about Concordia's Middle School and High School programs.

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