PIQUA — Piqua Central Intermediate School hosted COSI on Wheels Monday, allowing its sixth grade class to participate in hands-on science activities aligned with the Ohio Academic Content Standards and the National Science Education Standards. The event was funded by Piqua’s French Oil Mill Machinery.
According to PCIS science teacher Veronica Gaier, this the third year in a row that French Oil has funded the event, which began Monday with an opening assembly, after which each sixth grade home room class was given a session to explore the COSI stations in the gym.
“This is the first year that we’ve done this topic, which is called, ‘Exploring Ecology,’” Gaier said.
Each session allows students to interact at 10 stations, Gaier said, each with a different activity centered around ecology education. Station activities allowed students to learn about food chains/pyramids; how animal beaks pick up food; animal fur; tree aging; metamorphosis/life stages; photosynthesis; organisms and camouflage; and the natural spreading of seeds throughout an ecosystem.
“We already covered ecology in our curriculum … and some of this stuff is covered in fifth grade, as well,” Gaier said. “So, it’s a review and a hands-on extension of what we do in class.”
Students from Piqua High School’s Link Crew were in attendance Monday to help facilitate at each station.
“It has gone really well,” Gaier said. “I talked to the kids and they really enjoyed it. They like the fact that they can move freely; it’s structured, but yet, it’s in an unstructured environment.”
Gaier noted many students do not get the chance to visit the COSI Museum in Columbus, so this event allows them to experience that on a smaller scale.
“It can be pricey and many of our students don’t get to experience that,” she said. “This is an opportunity for all of them to experience science differently, as you would at COSI, so this is cool for them.”
Gaier added that COSI also provided a coupon to each student, so they may experience the museum during summer vacation at a discounted admission price.
