Dolgeville Central School District

Local sixth graders recently spent a day exploring engineering, optical illusions, crime lab science and liquid nitrogen with the Museum of Innovation and Science.

Outreach educator Frank Torncello from the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady presented to students during the Science Exploration Herkimer BOCES Honors Program event on March 20 at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer. Sixth graders from Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young, Richfield Springs and West Canada Valley attended.

During the “engineering mission” portion of the event, students followed the engineering process while working in groups to design, build, test, evaluate and redesign a shock-absorbing system that protected “astronauts” as they landed on the moon.

For the “optical illusions” section, students learned how optical illusions trick your eyes and brain. They discovered how artists have used techniques to trick people for hundreds of years. Students learned about how the parts of the eye work together to create a sense of sight and observed a real cow’s eye dissection.

Participants were “detectives in training” during the “crime lab science” segment of the program, as they learned about forensic science and how evolving technology helps scientists and detectives discover the truth about mysterious criminal cases. They learned about fingerprint chromatography, DNA and how to extract it.

"Liquid nitrogen,” the fourth part of the program, included participants observing uncommon states of matter such as liquid boiling at room temperature. Through the demonstrations, learners discovered how liquid nitrogen is made and used in science and the curious effects this extreme cold has on a variety of materials.