Students in AP Physics (PACE) and Accelerated Physics have been hard at work on constructing machines for the Pius X Machine Contest. This year’s task is to build a machine with at least 20 different steps that will squeeze toothpaste from a tube. The classes are taught by Jeremy Scheffler. 1st Place: We Are Kenough […]
Students in Lori Watson’s Biology class had fun exploring the parts of flowers during a flower dissection lab. Working in groups they engaged in dissecting carnation flowers and examining their structure. Learning about flower anatomy and the parts that help flowers grow and make seeds.
Jenna Steenson’s Anatomy & Physiology students are learning all about the integumentary system (the skin) and how it heals. To gain hands-on experience, students are also learning about suturing techniques. They are practicing various types of sutures, each with its own purpose depending on the wound’s location and size. This activity not only familiarizes them
Madalyn Youngers’ Advanced Chemistry class has been studying empirical formulas. In this lab, they are determining the empirical formula of a magnesium-oxygen compound by conducting an experiment where magnesium metal reacts with oxygen gas. After completing the experiment, they will calculate the amount of oxygen consumed in the reaction. Inspiring science teachers are essential for
Students in Jenna Steenson’s Anatomy and Physiology class have been learning about vital signs, which are essential indicators of a person’s health. As part of their curriculum, they’ve been practicing how to take accurate measurements of pulse, temperature, blood pressure, and respiration rate, and how these are interpreted to assess overall health and potential medical
Students are engaging in a hands-on experiment designed to deepen their understanding of motion in Jeremy Scheffler’s Accelerated Physics class. Working in small groups, each team used toy cars to gather empirical data on how distance and time relate to one another. Their task involved setting up experiments where they measured how far the toy
The annual Machine Contest at Pius X – involving students in the AP Physics (PACE) and Accelerated Physics classes – featured six machines built over multiple weeks, with planning lasting more than two months.
Students in Kayla Boellstorff’s Physical Science class were measuring kinetic and potential energy of a golf ball using different heights. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion possessed by the golf ball as it travels, while potential energy is the stored energy it gains or loses based on its position relative to the ground at
NOTE: Some of these images may be disturbing to the eye. No students were harmed during this school lab lesson. Using dye, glue, tissue, coffee grounds and various other materials, Jenna Steenson’s Anatomy & Physiology class were creating some very realistic wounds, just in time for Halloween!
Anatomy & Physiology students are learning all about the integumentary system (the skin) and how it heals. Teacher Jenna Steenson invited Christopher Darst, who works in cardiothoracic surgery as a PA at the Nebraska Heart Hospital. Sharing his knowledge, Darst showed students how to apply different types of sutures, as well as share stories and pictures
Students in John Cox’s Physics class had to show an inventive way to measure 60 seconds. Working in small groups they displayed their timers in class this week and tested how accurate they were.
Students in AP Environmental Science have been determining the physical properties of different soils. Using soil samples from a corn field, a creek and garden soils they are researching soil texture by feel and measuring percentage proportion of the soils content. Lori Watson is the teacher.
Students Jenna Steenson’s Anatomy & Physiology class are trying to keep alive Homer Simpson. To do so, they are using what they’ve learned about homeostasis. Maintaining body temperature, water quantity, and electrolyte concentration, they must keep Homer alive for five minutes as his water slowly drains away. Homeostasis is the ability of the body to
Students in Kayla Boellstorff’s Biology class were comparing temperatures of different beverages with cubed and crushed ice.
It takes a lot of work to get a science lab to work just right. Using methods such as filtration and evaporation, students in Joanna Andrews’ Chemistry class were learning about different way to separate a mixture of salt, sand, iron filings and beads.
Students in AP Human Geography (taught by Shiela Sievert) and AP Environmental Science (taught by Lori Watson) visited Green School Farms and Kawasaki earlier this week. At the farm, students planted tomatoes and peppers while learning about sustainable farming methods and organic practices. The owner, Gary Fehr, spoke about restoring a prairie, which will help
Students in Jeremy Scheffler’s AP Physics class have been perfecting their home wiring skills this week. Working through a series of tasks students have shown a number of skills including how to install an outlet, a switched lampholder and a push button controlled buzzer.
Mrs. Steenson’s Biology class have been studying the anatomy of different types of frogs. This week included getting a closer look at the internal anatomy by dissection.
In AP Environmental Science, Lori Watson’s students are learning the scientific principles, concepts and methodologies used by scientists to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. In this week’s class, students are using Ice Core Models to create a scale model and infer about climate change, just as scientists would in real world.
Students in Lori Watson’s Biology Class have been exploring the anatomy of fish this week. Working in groups, they have been studying the attributes of perch.
Students in AP Physics (PACE) and Accelerated Physics participated in last night’s 29th annual Pius X Machine Contest. Teams of students built machines with at least 20 different steps that would TURN A PAGE OF A BOOK. The teams were judged on their ingenuity and on whether their machine successfully completed the task. This year’s
Students in Jamie Reed’s Biology class have been studying inheritance patterns. Using information such as scale color, eye color, tail length and fire breathing in dragons, students determine which were passed down and draw their dragon to show these inherited traits.
Building and breaking bridges is practically a right of passage in a Physics class, one remembered by many former students. Students in John Cox’s class tested their designs one scoopful of sand at a time. Here’s junior Preston Utemark talking about his design, which held 50 pounds of sand (and the bucket) before collapsing. At
John Cox’s Physics class have been learning about rigidity and tension, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of different materials. Using k’nex they conducted a group exercise to build a suspension bridge comparing the rigidity of the structure at each level. STEM in action!
Kayla Boellstorff’s Biology class were using microscopes to view the cell structure, and learn and identify the phases in the cell cycle.
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