On Nov. 20 and 21, Dr. Jim Newcomb of New England College visited the seventh grade science classes at Hopkinton Middle High School. During this time, students learned all about eyes, particularly how we take in, process and respond to the information about the world around us. Before Dr. Newcomb arrived, students thought about questions they had such as:
■Does eye color impact how I see?
■What is happening when I cry?
■What causes vision impairments?
■What causes eye color?
■Are infants all born with blue eyes? If so, why?
■How do our eyes compare to other organisms’ eyes?
During the presentation students dissected sheep eyeballs, tested vision acuity using Snellen charts, found their blind spot in each of their eyes, and took a color blindness test.
“Students take the lead in what they want to learn on this topic. Their natural inquisitiveness and curiosity promote student engagement and application of the knowledge learned,” said Sara Baroody, the seventh-grade Integrated Science teacher.