Students experiment with soda sweetness

NEW YORK (Press Release) — Ten Jewish day schools last week competed in an interschool virtual competition testing students’ teamwork and problem solving skills on “The Science of Soda” as part of the Excellence 2000 (E2K) program provided by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education.

The winners of the 7th Grade Science Virtual Activity are Solomon Schechter of Queens, (first place), Manhattan Day School (second place) and Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva, in Edison, New Jersey. Other schools that competed are Carmel Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut, Yeshivat Noam, in Paramus, NJ, The Moriah School, in Englewood, New Jersey Westchester Day School, in Mamaroneck, New York, the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida and YBH-Hillel of Passaic, New Jersey.

The students participated in science experiments about the different sugars in soda. They did a taste test to determine what type of sugar was sweetest: fructose, glucose, or dextrose. They were then asked to create an original science experiment that could quantify how much sweeter one sugar was from the other. They developed a procedure and performed the experiment.  To show how sugar impacts density, students then submerged Coke and Diet Coke cans in a large tub of water. They saw that while Diet Coke floats, regular Coke sinks. They had to develop a theory that explained what they saw. In between each hands on experiment there were several warm up questions that students had to answer. They used the soda cans and their own outside information to answer these questions.

“Our students were extremely enthusiastic and excited to compete,” explained David Mushiev,” a science teacher at Solomon Schechter of Queens.  “These 14 students in the 7th grade learned that through teamwork, they were able to find answers faster and communicate.”

During the science activity, students utilized interactive technology as they communicated with the activity moderator in Israel.

The teachers and students are so energized by these friendly contests that give students practical knowledge that they’ll retain longer than through textbook learning,” explains Linda Goldberg,” math and science coordinator. “Every student that competed benefitted from the exercise and opportunity which is an essential component of the CIJE Excellence 2000 program.”

Developed in Israel and optimized for the American student, the E2K program is now in approximately 70 schools across the U.S. Through mind-bending math problems and international competitions, puzzles and challenges, middle- and high-school students participating in the Excellence 2000 program find themselves engaged and ready to take on further math and science opportunities.

The CIJE Excellence 2000 program has more than 130 master teachers who nurture students’ creativity and critical thinking. CIJE invests heavily in teacher training to encourage day school students to “think outside the box” and to embrace math and science.

“This is one of the many competitive activities in the Excellence 2000 program that are based on fundamental STEM and core curriculum, but presented in an engaging and exciting way,” explains Jason Cury, president of CIJE. “We now have a waiting list for schools to implement this 21century math and science curriculum, but and need more support to underwrite these programs.”

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Preceding provided by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education