Earlier this month, two of Townsend Harris’s Science Research classes visited the Queens College campus for a multi-day workshop focused on soil science. For three days, students engaged in hands-on activities while being guided by a Queens College professor. Through lectures, fieldwork, and experiments, students gained a deeper understanding of the world underneath their feet.
On the first day, students explored three different soil samples and were challenged to identify their origin based on their characteristics, such as texture, color, and the presence of organic material, such as bugs and sticks. The next day, students were allowed to use a specialized tool, called an auger, to dig into the ground and collect soil samples from different horizons. After analyzing these samples using a soil color book, students determined their texture and documented other properties. On the last day, students reflected on what they learned.
Science Research teacher Olivia Comer mentioned that she had taken a class at Queens College with Professor Peter Schmidt as part of her master’s program. Ms. Comer said, “Ms. Loew and I then reached out to him together to ask what activities he might be able to do with the students and discuss his availability. He was very open to working with our students and suggested this soil study as a first step.”
Ms. Loew said, “The trip does fit into the curriculum because it is an investigation using the scientific method and it relates back to our very own kind of backyard in a sense, the Queens College campus.”
Sophomore Daniel Kalantarov said, “Things were really well done on this trip, especially the organization and planning. The professor and my teacher clearly put a lot of time and thought into this trip, and it felt very organized and enjoyable for everyone.”
Sophomore Saniha Jasrah said, “Before the trip, I never really thought deeply about soil… However, through this experience, I realized how much complexity lies beneath the surface.”
Similarly, sophomore Adiba Islam said, “Going on this trip gave us a fresh and new perspective of science itself. In the classroom we worked mainly on computers or similar experiments from previous years. However, this trip allows us to research and explore earth science and the different aspects of the science field and life.”
Sophomore Stephanie Lin said, “It was a really fun and insightful trip, and I got to see what science was like at a higher level. It showed me the wide variety of experiments that can be conducted.”
While Ms. Loew’s trip went mainly as planned, Ms. Comer’s trip faced some unforeseen circumstances. Ms. Comer said, “On the day I took my own class out, it started pouring rain, so we did not get to finish the data collection exactly as planned. However, I hope it was a fun memory if anything.”
