A group of 30 seventh grade Mustangs recently headed to the Museum of Science and Industry after completing STEM Extension Projects in the Media Center! These 7th graders were selected to enrich their STEM learning at MSI by completing authentic medical tests using professional lab tools!
Throughout the school year, math and science teachers select students to work on extension and enrichment projects revolving around the Engineering Design Process. Through project-based learning students identify the problem, generate ideas, plan a solution, build a prototype, evaluate, and present the results. Some of the projects this year have included using math and science to create a geodesic dome structure, designing a candy grabber with levers and fulcrums, assessing climate change solutions, and exploring through cardboard creations. The students who were selected by their math and science teachers to complete the extension projects were the same students who attended the field trip.
MSI Chicago greeted our Mustangs and brought them to their YOU! The Experience exhibit to participate in the MedLab: Diabetes experience. This field trip allowed students the opportunity for hands-on STEM learning.
After gathering the patient’s background information (such as age, height, weight, family history, and symptoms), Mustang scholars studied the patient’s diet. Using a urinalysis exam kit and a blood plasma kit, students were able to determine a possible diagnosis. These lucky scholars also got to work with a state of the art human patient simulation robot to diagnose and understand diabetes!
The goal of this field trip to MSI was to gain a greater understanding of anatomy, physiology, and medicine. 7th graders also gained a better understanding of health and science careers that impact community and individual health!
“I was chosen for this field trip because earlier in the year I created an extension project with my group where we had to make a cardboard cave using specific measurements, angles, and formulas. It was a fun field trip, and we learned a lot about diabetes and how we can get a patient’s glucose up. We also learned how we can check where their pulse is and how many breaths they take. They also taught us how to check if a person is actually healthy or not. They gave us a lot of background information that helped us, especially when using the real medical tools. At the end of the lab, we were able to explore the rest of MSI which was really cool.” - Taylor D.
To learn more about MSI’s YOU! The Experience exhibit, visit their website.
