All About Science

The gymnasium at Maury River Middle School was transformed into a science museum last Wednesday, giving students an opportunity to study body systems in an alternative, exciting way. As Project-Based Learning (PBL), students created exhibits that offered different lessons about the body. “They also learned critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and citizenship,” physical education teacher Tasha Polly explained. Teachers and students had support from a number of organizations for this project, including Amazement Square in Lynchburg, Advanced Drainage Systems of Buena Vista, Lowe’s, Carilion, the Lexington Police Department, Project Horizon, and the Virtual Reality Center of Roanoke, Polly noted. Among the scenes that day were (above) a student pedaling a bike in place to test how activity stimulates heart rate; (below) two students displaying a realistic rendition of the cardiovascular system; and (at bottom) students twisting, turning, and answering questions about the body in a academic version of Twister. (Hope Huger photos)