PASS THE BREAD - 7TH GRADE SCIENCE
Meet the newest addition to our middle school staff, Ms. Joana Quillo! Ms. Quillo (pronounced Key-yo) graduated from Trinity International University with a degree in Biology and Biblical Studies. She teaches science to our middle schoolers and says that her love of science stems from how it gave her “a better understanding of the world that God created” and how any branch of science offers her the opportunity to “discover how God’s creation works.” She shares this passion and excitement for science by guiding her students through hands-on activities in the classroom.
This week, her 7th grade students did an experiment called “Please Pass the Bread!” The goal of the experiment was to observe mold growth in bread. Ms. Quillo stated that the skills the students are practicing involve “observing, inferring, posing questions, making a hypothesis, and creating a controlled experiment.” The students also identified errors along the way and ways to improve the experiment. These are scientific skills that will be imperative to St. Peter students as they go forward in their academic careers.
Over the course of the week, the kids observed changes to two slices of bread that did not contain preservatives. One slice had moisture added, and one slice did not. Both were sealed in Ziploc bags, taped shut with duct tape, and stored in a dark cabinet. The kids would only take the bags out to observe and record changes to the bread on their data tables. The students began to see mold growth on some of the bread by day 3. Not everyone’s bread grew mold, but it was fun to see how excited the whole class became when mold was present! Even the bread that did not grow mold changed in appearance and the students were great observers of the differences from day to day. They were learning the scientific process and the parts of a scientific inquiry while having fun with their teacher.
Though Ms. Quillo has only been with St. Peter for a short time, she is beginning to feel the love and support our community offers. “Everyone I have encountered in St. Peter from staff to students has shown me God’s love...The staff and students represent St. Peter well; they represent God well.” We at St. Peter sincerely hope that Ms. Quillo continues to feel welcome and loved here, as we are thrilled that she is with us!
