Real-world experimenting

Jeff Benson

Whatever happened to science classes making volcanoes out of

papier-mache, tornadoes out of bottles and DNA strands out of pipe

cleaners?

Those activities have been replaced by real-world learning, such

as what went on Monday at Corona del Mar High School, where students

learned how scientists typically test for lethal agents of biological

warfare.

Special education students at Corona del Mar High School and

Corona del Mar Junior High School learned a little bit about how

chemists distinguish anthrax from other chemicals. But they didn’t

need to worry about getting chalky white powder all over themselves,

since they were only handling baking soda, salt and sugar.

Working in groups of threes, more than 50 students took turns

dripping water, vinegar and iodine on the various powdery substances

in the school’s chemistry lab. They documented the reactions that

occurred, which included changes in color and texture.

Some of the mixtures fizzed, while others hardened or turned

bright orange.

“We’re trying to find out what happens to salt, sugar and Epsom

salt,” said Mario Clark, 13. “One of them looks like rocks. And it

looks like the salt’s going down slowly.”

Students also got a crash course in safety and isolating samples

in order to preserve their integrity.

One group accidentally mixed their iodine with their vinegar,

which is a big no-no in the world of chemistry. It didn’t create a

catastrophic explosion -- or even a little one -- but it did render

the experiment temporarily null and void, because neither chemical

remained in its original state.

“You cannot mix one with another one, because then we don’t know

what it is,” said Sat Sarin, science coordinator at Corona del Mar

High School.

Children from six special education classes were able to attend

the lab thanks to a grant from the Corona del Mar Foundation, teacher

Joanie Arnold said.

“It’s nice for all special education classes to be involved in

science experiments that several of them may not have other

opportunities to do,” she said. “Some of the students aren’t in the

mainstream for regular science classes. Some are severely

handicapped, and some are learning handicapped.”

Three years ago, a police officer visited the school and told

teachers they should teach students how to distinguish substances,

Sarin said.

“Two years ago, anthrax was sent to people, and people didn’t know

what it was,” Sarin said. “Now you can do the tests and find out what

is in these.”

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot

education writer Jeff Benson visits a campus in the Newport-Mesa area

and writes about his experience.