When Debbi Gadwah became director at the Maxfield Public Library in Loudon two years ago, she brought along a fun – yet far more messy – way to teach children science and math.
So began the ‘Gross me out at the Library’ science program this week.
Local Loudon children ages 7 to 12 got to learn about “ooey, gooey and yucky experiments bound to make you go eew,” according to the sign-up leaflet that Gadwah handed out. And it worked. The kids learned how to make liquids that simulated the look and consistency of blood and, yes, even nasal secretions. And that got the children’s attention.
Gadwah developed the lesson to help kids learn about science, technology, engineering, art and math through tactile means. So through recipes of normal products like gelatin, corn syrup and corn starch, the children learn how to make blood-like materials to show how it feels and coagulates. And then she ended the program with a round of Bean Boozled, a game in which similar colored beans either taste terrific (like chocolate or buttered popcorn) or terrible (like dog food or rotten eggs).