POMPERAUG HIGH SCHOOL’S PHYSICAL SCIENCE LAB PROVIDES FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE LAB COURSEWORK

   In its first year of implementation, the academic physical science lab at Pomperaug High School exposes 288 freshmen students to a laboratory science. Each class has one 90-minute lab block every four days. Students are involved in approximately 35-40 laboratory-based activities each year, including laboratory safety and techniques, inquiry-based activities, and labs which will help them on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT).

   During inquiry-based activities, students discover for themselves the relationship between two variables. Students who actively make observations, collect, analyze, and synthesize information, and draw conclusions develop useful problem-solving skills. This involvement during a physical science lab leads to a greater understanding of the subject.

   The Region 15 Board of Education funded the physical science lab in its 2005-06 school budget.

   “The physical science lab is a critical component of Pomperaug High School’s science program,” said Dr. Frank Sippy, school superintendent. “The concepts the students are learning are abstract, but now these freshmen can understand fulcrums, acceleration, and gravity with much more meaning. I am confident that our students will be better prepared for higher level courses and the CAPT test due to the new physical science lab. The future is bright for these courses and we’re seeing terrific work from both the teachers and the students.”

   During the first semester, students are introduced to chemistry and such topics as chemical and physical properties, atomic structure, and organic chemistry. During the second semester, students learn about motion, forces, electricity and magnetism, and sound and light in the physics half of the course.

   “I’ve been a physical science teacher for 17 years. It’s wonderful to witness the level of excitement in these students as they see the physical and chemical changes occur right in front of them,” said science teacher Richard Szymanski.

   Jose Martinez, Pomperaug High School’s math and science chairman, has great faith in the new physical science lab. He believes the lab experience at PHS will better prepare the students for the CAPT test and will provide a strong foundation for future laboratory coursework including biology, chemistry, and physics.

   “The students will develop much stronger skills in lab work and they will be doing more sophisticated things in chemistry and physics. I believe this program is definitely headed in the right direction,” said Mr. Martinez. “What we’re doing with the labs is involving the students in science. That’s how they learn. We believe that the more the students are involved, the better they’ll do.”