MS Science Fair and Art Show Shine
Thursday, June 9, was a rainy day, but the skies cleared by evening when The Sharon Academy Middle School opened its doors to the public for its annual Science Fair and Art Show.
This exuberant display of scientific research showcases how students learned to examine a topic of their choosing, design and execute an experiment, analyze data, and finally present their work to the community. They certainly reveled in the excitement of being stars of their own shows. Head of School Mary Newman enthused, “Every single conversation I had with students was full of positive energy. On our walk home, both of my kids remarked about how cool it all was.”
A perennial favorite art project is the ceramic food created during the Food and Hunger unit. Creating the plates of food, firing, glazing, and refiring takes time and the students feel the satisfaction of the delayed gratification that comes from this long process. Each creation is accompanied by an explanation of why certain foods were selected for the representation and the nutrition profile of the menu. This interdisciplinary process using creativity and nutritional analysis is another example of the kind of deeper learning that helps students absorb information and develop skills; guests are reliably impressed with both the artistry and the sophistication of the analysis of each piece displayed at the show.
Kudos to all the students, and thanks to the teachers Clare Smith and Marcy Innes who guided them through their learning process.