On Friday, June 3, more than two hundred middle school students from Kearny, Rutherford, and New Milford spent the day at Montclair State University participating in interactive math and science presentations through the College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) GK-12 NSF project's fourth Math and Science Day.

Part of the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program, Math and Science Day offered the students hands-on, age-appropriate learning opportunities designed to increase their interest in math and science.

Led by Montclair State faculty and graduate students, a wide array of student-friendly presentations and workshops were offered at the event, including:

“Viruses and Diseases” presented by Sandra Adams
“Milk Tie-Dye” presented by Maryam Alapa
“Discovery of DNA” presented by Caitlin Ament
“Modeling Diseases” presented by Lora Billings
“Chutes and Ladders” presented by Leslie Cheteyan and Stewart Hengeveld
“Jump Rope Arithmetic” presented by Jonathan Cutler
“Education in Ecuador” presented by Victor Brito Guaman and Armando Yanez
“Tag, You’re Sick!” presented by Jonathan Hayes
“Amphibian Diversity” presented by Lisa Hazard
“Amazing Numbers” presented by Aihua Li
“A Veterinarian’s Day” presented by Dr. Amy Miller
“Genetically Modified Organisms” presented by Carlos Molina
“Liquid N2, Very Cool” presented by Kevin Olsen
“Magnetic Fluids” presented by David Trubatch
“Attack of the Killer Plants” presented by Dirk Vanderklein
“Ideal Gas Law Game” presented by Matthew Vieira
“Light” presented by Emrah Altunkaya
“Chemistry Magic” presented by Nina Goodey
“Gel Capsules” presented by Nadia Pasquale
“Exciting Physics Demos” presented by the MSU Physics Club
“Busting up Rocks – Weathering” presented by Greg Pope
“Diversity of Marine Life” presented by Bob Prezant
“Change is Sweet” presented by Diana Sanchez

Math and Science Day is a highlight of the GK-12 Fellows in the Middle Program, which promotes math and science research and education by placing Montclair State graduate students in middle school classrooms to serve as resident scientists and mathematicians working together with the middle school teachers.

Supported by a $2.95 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation, the Montclair State GK-12 program is directed by CSAM professors Ken Wolff, Mika Munakata, and Mary Lou West, and supported by a team of CSAM research faculty and graduate students.

The area middle schools participating in Math and Science Day this year were Kearny’s Lincoln and Schuyler Schools, Rutherford’s Union School, and New Milford’s Solomon Schechter Day School.

See more photos from the event.