Bio Lab on Wheels Excites Harlem Academy Students

During the month of December, Harlem Academy students spent some exciting time conducting experiments in a mobile science lab with high-tech microscopes and imaging equipment. BioBus travels to different schools all across the Big Apple leading experiments and demonstrations. This initiative is ready to make science handy, engaging and fun for students of every background. “Students board the BioBus excited, and they leave inspired to ask new questions based on their scientific findings and investigation,” said Allison Duarte, Harlem Academy science coordinator. “The experience reinforces several components of science education we embrace at Harlem Academy – curiosity, experimentation, analysis, and collaboration.” The older students learned about the planktonic crustacean called Daphnia where they observed its makeup and reactions to various colors of light. The students made their observations through collected data and then evaluated the results. First and second grade students took a tour of the bus and learned about solar panels on top of the roof, the vegetable oil-powered engine and the scientific equipment. They were able to look at slides underneath a microscope. “The BioBus was so fun. It was cool to get to know about living organisms like Daphnia and getting to see their heartbeat on a microscope,” said third grader Jordan.