Science is a multidisciplinary field, requiring great care and creativity to teach. Pictured here is the annual 8th Grade “Rollercoaster Expo”, through which Middle School students learn physics principles like potential and kinetic energy. 8th graders worked in groups to create their own unique marble paper roller coasters, then invited parents, faculty, and fellow students to witness their creativity “in-motion!” See below for more details about this and how our Science Department faculty help make their pedagogical experiences come alive for our students.
Design-based Thinking in Action
The features here are the first in a new D-E Today editorial series on STEM, research and innovation initiatives, in both teaching and in learning.
1st Graders Present Annual Houses & Homes Assembly
Our 1st Graders’ Houses & Homes Assembly, a 25-year-old D-E Lower School (LS) tradition, took place earlier this week in the LS gym! For this annual labor of love, students work together to build a home that represents their assigned continent—Australia, South...
Eighth Graders Set Their Wheels in Motion for the Great Paper Roller Coaster Expo
What do dinosaurs, flames, space, Minecraft, and SpongeBob have in common? They are among the themes depicted in this year’s Great Paper Roller Coaster Challenge, which recently took place in the Middle School. The project, facilitated by 8th Grade Science Teacher Hyo Kim and 8th Grade Math & Science Teacher Julia Taazelar, challenges students to design a roller coaster marble run. Parents and some Lower School students had a chance to view the variety of designs as well as test the functionality of each roller coaster, marble in hand. Ms. Taazelar describes this as a capstone project for Grade 8 that puts to use what they’ve learned about the laws of motion and energy transformation. With this project, they’re able to “apply the skills they’ve learned theoretically into something that is practical and hands-on,” she says.
Ms. Kim adds that the project, in its fourth year running, is a way “to wrap up the curriculum on physics… that also teaches students about collaboration, as each person has a specific job.” As students described to their gathered audiences how the marble could represent both stored energy (potential) and energy in motion (kinetic), it was clear that the project met its aim of being both imaginative and educational. It’s another great example of innovation in action at D-E!
MS Science Olympiad Finds Success at Regionals and More!
Congratulations to our young Science Olympians! Exciting news from our Science Olympiad teams! In December, all 19 of our Science Olympians competed in the Rustin Invitational, which drew teams from the Northeastern US. That competition was held remotely, and the 24...
A Recap on the 6th Grade 2nd Annual TREP$ Marketplace!
TREP$, short for enTREPreneur$, is aimed at students learning about the evolution of business start-ups and creating their own products and services. 6th Grade students underwent a two-month process in which they brainstormed ideas, developed marketing materials and...
A LookBack: Bergen Science Challenge 2023!
In early June, we had members of the MS Research & Innovation Club head to Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, NJ to present at the Bergen Science Challenge. Led by club advisor and Innovation Coordinator, Ms. Colleen Larionoff, students worked alone or in...
STEM News: Cubes in Space!
Yes, you heard correctly! Cubes! in Space! Read about how D-E sent students to Virginia to send Cubes to Space! This past June, D-E's Innovation Coordinator Colleen Larionoff and 14 Middle School Students made a trip to RocketFest2023 at NASA's Wallops Virginia Flight...
Innovation IRL (In Real Life)
Beyond just hearing about the importance of innovation in learning and thinking, students in all three divisions this year have been treated to “D-Edicated’ time spent on immersive innovation-centric, design thinking models IRL (in real life), thanks to D-E Innovation...
A Conversation with Shefali Nefdt, AP Biology & IBC IIA Conversation with
With over 20 years in teaching science around the world, Shefali Nefdt is a seasoned and passionate science educator, “I’m not a teacher that believes in too much lecturing,” Shefali said, “I like to give ownership of learning to my students. So here I am a...
A Conversation with Hyo Kim, 8th Grade Science
In her third year at D-E, Hyo Kim has found her footing in Middle School. “I’ve taught almost all the grades in my career. Lower School is wonderful because everything is amazing; everything you do is brand new. While in the Upper School, you can really push students...
D-E Robotics Team Critical Mass 207 Compete at “Worlds” in Houston!
Earlier this spring and halfway across the country in Houston, Texas, the D-E Robotics’ “varsity squad” – Team Critical Mass 207 – was busy at work at the highly competitive, intense, and exciting 2023 FirstTech Challenge World Championships. With a little bit of...