Students Shine in Science Classes Thanks to GEMS Program

The middle school students of Sophia Academy have been busy with hands-on science lessons this trimester as a part of the GEMS (Great Explorations in Math & Science) curriculum, an inquiry-driven, activity-based approach to science education taught to them by Middle School Science Teacher, Ms. Heather Tomkins.  Life science students created three-dimensional models of plant and animal cells, using materials found around the home.  Earth science students recorded the rates of lava flow out of model volcanoes based on viscosity of liquid.  Physical science students learned to distinguish between a systematic observation and an experiment as well as witness the phase changes of dry ice in a lab experiment.  In each class, students designed and implemented their own investigations based on a question they were interested in exploring more in-depth.  The small class size and individual attention provided by Sophia Academy enhance the GEMS curriculum and exemplify the school’s philosophy of multisensory learning through hands-on experimentation.