Southwest Philly Review - July 20, 2007
The Kingsessing branch of the Free Library plays host to Science in the Summer,
a free program for elementary-age kids.
By Alexis Abate
During the summer, children are enjoying their three-month vacation from school. But the learning doesn’t have to stop there, as many can discover why there are brown and blue eyes and why no two fingerprints are alike right at the library.
The secret isn’t in the stacks, but it’s GlaxoSmithKline’s ”Science in the Summer” that gives elementary-age kids a peek through the microscope. The no-cost weeklong session — divided into two age groups — will be held at the Kingsessing branch, 1201 S. 51st St., July 31 to Aug. 3. Level I is for those entering second and third grades and Level II is designed for fourth- through sixth-graders. Certified teachers head the 45- to 60-minute courses, comprised of about 15 children each.
Although genetics will be the topic in more than 50 libraries, others covered across the region include chemistry, simple machines, physical science/electricity and oceanography. Last year, Kingsessing participants created simple machines.
”It went very well, they got to build machines themselves and see how they work,” Kingsessing children’s librarian Tina Pie said.
The Kingsessing branch’s ”Science in the Summer” teacher, Varnelle Moore, agrees a student favorite is conducting individual tests.
”The kids are really excited about the experiments,” Moore, who has been a teacher in the program for the past six years, said.
In one such exercise — adding a chemical mixture to break down strawberry molecules — the children have the opportunity to use test tubes and slides.
"We go over how children are affected by mutations and how protein bases out of order create mutations, or how diseases occur,” Moore, a Philadelphia School District instructor for 20 years, said.
Though science can be serious stuff, Moore likes to make the instruction fun. When the students extract cells from strawberries, Moore jokingly reminds them not to eat the experiments ”and when we go into fingerprinting, I tell them to make sure they don't leave any evidence behind,” Moore said.
Not only does ”Science in the Summer” help kids understand more about living organisms, it also helps them better relate to their parents.
”One of the best things is the fact that it’s hands-on so they have the opportunity to participate and relate to professions their parents have,” Moore said. ”It really opens up the conversation at home.”
Even when classes come to a close, the newly acquired knowledge makes school in the fall a little less hectic. And since GlaxoSmithKline donates an annual grant to each participating library for science books, kids can continue learning whenever they want.
Started more than 20 years ago by GlaxoSmithKline’s Director of Environmental Sustainability Sciences Virginia L. Cunningham, the program’s objective has been to perform hands-on experiments while developing a life-long interest in science.
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