Tweet
HMADS HOLDS 21ST ANNUAL SCIENCE FAIR
www.hairenik.com/weekly/2009/04/02/hmads-hol ds-21st-annual-science-fair/
April 2, 2009
BAYSIDE, N.Y.-"How Students See Scientists: Mostly Male, Mostly White,
and Mostly Benevolent," is an article from the Science and Children
Journal that outlines an informal survey taken by the magazine. School
children were asked: What image comes to your mind when you think
of a typical scientist? Their responses were given in the form of
written and illustrated work.
The greatest number of respondents came from New York and the
outcome proved the numerous stereotypes that dominate many young
minds about what traits a scientist must fulfill in order to hold
such a "prestigious title." The article opposes the common belief
that a scientist must be of some supernatural intelligence, a nerd,
or a freak of nature to take part in such work. Most students drew
a middle-aged man, in a lab, mixing chemicals.
Eighty-six percent of females drew male scientists. This article only
begins to illustrate the misconceptions facing today's youth about
the attributes that scientists must possess and the fields in which
they may work.
A few weeks ago I told my class, "Please draw an image of a scientist
and answer the following: Where is your scientist? What is your
scientist doing?" The class has an equal number of boys and girls, and
100 percent of the class drew male scientists, all of whom were working
in a "secret lab," I was told. As they worked, I heard comments about
Albert Einstein, and "crazy hair" was seen in two of the drawings.
It is my belief that this year's Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School
(HMADS) Science Fair has combated some of these stereotypes and that
the children walked away knowing that there are many professions
in the field of science open to males and females, and that most
scientists are not locked in a "secret lab."
The HMADS 21st Annual Science Fair Week in Bayside was highlighted by
three informative and noteworthy guest speakers in the science field:
Dr. Edmond Sarkissian, internist; Dr. Scarlet Arakelian, DDS; and
Simona Yadhdjian, RPh. (All three speakers are parents of currently
enrolled HMADS students.)
Sarkissian graduated from St. George University Medical School,
completed his residency at Winthrop University Hospital, and taught
biology at California State University. He spoke in a well-prepared
presentation to the HMADS 4th, 5th, and 6th grades on the topic of
diabetes, explaining in concise language the function of the pancreas
and the role of insulin in the body. He defined type I and type II
diabetes for the audience and explained the symptoms of diabetes. Most
importantly, Sarkissian spoke about preventative measures and the
importance of a well-balanced diet. His patience and calm demeanor
held the students' interest throughout his presentation.
Seasoned doctor Scarlet Arakelian joined us to speak about dental
health and dental procedures. A graduate of SUNY Stony Brook University
with a degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery, she opened her own practice
in 2004. Arakelian has advanced her education by extensively studying
implant dentistry. Her slide show about the impact of dental decay
engaged the students and facilitated much dialogue between Arakelian
and the audience. Besides dental health procedures, she spoke about
the anatomy of the tooth and how tarter destroys teeth.
Simona Yaghdjian graduated from St. John's University School of
Pharmacy and presently works for Rite Aid Drugstores. The young HMADS
students were attentive as they listened to Yaghdjian, who taught
the students that "a clean child is a healthy child." Her pleasant
nature and patience elicited many questions from the students.
Amid the excitement of our three guest speakers was the main event of
our young scientists' work. Each student's creativity and individual
interests showed through their beautiful displays and articulate
presentations. The nursery scientists explored sea life and adopted a
humpback whale named Half Moon. They worked together to create a whale
out of tissue paper and leaned facts about the mass of whales. The
kindergarten class learned how to stay healthy by studying proper
nutrition through the food pyramid.
The first grade explored many curricula in their presentation about
primates. The students learned about Jane Goodall and created poems
about the primates they studied, incorporating science, history, and
ELA. The second graders tackled the topic of physical science. Each
student performed an experiment using the steps of the Scientific
Method. Attention-grabbing experiments ranged from magnetism to
aeronautics.
Animal life and the various habitats could be seen at the third grade
table. Each student researched extensively on the plants and animals
that thrive in each habitat. The enthusiastic fourth graders undertook
the many aspects of the solar system ranging from the planets, sun,
moon, asteroids, meteoroids, and constellations.
The fifth grade students went "under the sea" to discover ocean
topography, pollution, currents, tides, and coral reefs. And finally,
the complex human body was studied by the sixth graders as they
presented their knowledge on the body systems. They covered a wealth
of information including DNA, layers of the skin, and the pH scale,
and described genetics using Punnett Squares. To supplement projects,
each student studied a natural plant and reported on a person in
science. The fluidity with which they presented their respective
topics showed a deep level of understanding and comprehension.
The HMADS students became young inventors as they voluntarily created
original inventions. The inventions were displayed at the invention
center and some boasted working models. Each original invention was
brought to fruition with an "authentic" patent.
Our week of learning concluded with a school-wide quiz game under
the direction of principal Zarmine Boghosian, with a special thanks
to computer teacher Arshak DerArtinian for his contributions.
The three guest speakers along with the involvement of each of hte
students were the greatest illustration to our students about what
a scientist "looks like." Each one of us is capable of attaining
"scientist" status. It is up to us as adults and educators to present
an attainable model of who a scientist is, and the HMADS Science Fair
Week did just that.
www.hairenik.com/weekly/2009/04/02/hmads-hol ds-21st-annual-science-fair/
April 2, 2009
BAYSIDE, N.Y.-"How Students See Scientists: Mostly Male, Mostly White,
and Mostly Benevolent," is an article from the Science and Children
Journal that outlines an informal survey taken by the magazine. School
children were asked: What image comes to your mind when you think
of a typical scientist? Their responses were given in the form of
written and illustrated work.
The greatest number of respondents came from New York and the
outcome proved the numerous stereotypes that dominate many young
minds about what traits a scientist must fulfill in order to hold
such a "prestigious title." The article opposes the common belief
that a scientist must be of some supernatural intelligence, a nerd,
or a freak of nature to take part in such work. Most students drew
a middle-aged man, in a lab, mixing chemicals.
Eighty-six percent of females drew male scientists. This article only
begins to illustrate the misconceptions facing today's youth about
the attributes that scientists must possess and the fields in which
they may work.
A few weeks ago I told my class, "Please draw an image of a scientist
and answer the following: Where is your scientist? What is your
scientist doing?" The class has an equal number of boys and girls, and
100 percent of the class drew male scientists, all of whom were working
in a "secret lab," I was told. As they worked, I heard comments about
Albert Einstein, and "crazy hair" was seen in two of the drawings.
It is my belief that this year's Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School
(HMADS) Science Fair has combated some of these stereotypes and that
the children walked away knowing that there are many professions
in the field of science open to males and females, and that most
scientists are not locked in a "secret lab."
The HMADS 21st Annual Science Fair Week in Bayside was highlighted by
three informative and noteworthy guest speakers in the science field:
Dr. Edmond Sarkissian, internist; Dr. Scarlet Arakelian, DDS; and
Simona Yadhdjian, RPh. (All three speakers are parents of currently
enrolled HMADS students.)
Sarkissian graduated from St. George University Medical School,
completed his residency at Winthrop University Hospital, and taught
biology at California State University. He spoke in a well-prepared
presentation to the HMADS 4th, 5th, and 6th grades on the topic of
diabetes, explaining in concise language the function of the pancreas
and the role of insulin in the body. He defined type I and type II
diabetes for the audience and explained the symptoms of diabetes. Most
importantly, Sarkissian spoke about preventative measures and the
importance of a well-balanced diet. His patience and calm demeanor
held the students' interest throughout his presentation.
Seasoned doctor Scarlet Arakelian joined us to speak about dental
health and dental procedures. A graduate of SUNY Stony Brook University
with a degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery, she opened her own practice
in 2004. Arakelian has advanced her education by extensively studying
implant dentistry. Her slide show about the impact of dental decay
engaged the students and facilitated much dialogue between Arakelian
and the audience. Besides dental health procedures, she spoke about
the anatomy of the tooth and how tarter destroys teeth.
Simona Yaghdjian graduated from St. John's University School of
Pharmacy and presently works for Rite Aid Drugstores. The young HMADS
students were attentive as they listened to Yaghdjian, who taught
the students that "a clean child is a healthy child." Her pleasant
nature and patience elicited many questions from the students.
Amid the excitement of our three guest speakers was the main event of
our young scientists' work. Each student's creativity and individual
interests showed through their beautiful displays and articulate
presentations. The nursery scientists explored sea life and adopted a
humpback whale named Half Moon. They worked together to create a whale
out of tissue paper and leaned facts about the mass of whales. The
kindergarten class learned how to stay healthy by studying proper
nutrition through the food pyramid.
The first grade explored many curricula in their presentation about
primates. The students learned about Jane Goodall and created poems
about the primates they studied, incorporating science, history, and
ELA. The second graders tackled the topic of physical science. Each
student performed an experiment using the steps of the Scientific
Method. Attention-grabbing experiments ranged from magnetism to
aeronautics.
Animal life and the various habitats could be seen at the third grade
table. Each student researched extensively on the plants and animals
that thrive in each habitat. The enthusiastic fourth graders undertook
the many aspects of the solar system ranging from the planets, sun,
moon, asteroids, meteoroids, and constellations.
The fifth grade students went "under the sea" to discover ocean
topography, pollution, currents, tides, and coral reefs. And finally,
the complex human body was studied by the sixth graders as they
presented their knowledge on the body systems. They covered a wealth
of information including DNA, layers of the skin, and the pH scale,
and described genetics using Punnett Squares. To supplement projects,
each student studied a natural plant and reported on a person in
science. The fluidity with which they presented their respective
topics showed a deep level of understanding and comprehension.
The HMADS students became young inventors as they voluntarily created
original inventions. The inventions were displayed at the invention
center and some boasted working models. Each original invention was
brought to fruition with an "authentic" patent.
Our week of learning concluded with a school-wide quiz game under
the direction of principal Zarmine Boghosian, with a special thanks
to computer teacher Arshak DerArtinian for his contributions.
The three guest speakers along with the involvement of each of hte
students were the greatest illustration to our students about what
a scientist "looks like." Each one of us is capable of attaining
"scientist" status. It is up to us as adults and educators to present
an attainable model of who a scientist is, and the HMADS Science Fair
Week did just that.