To teach young children about science, the Indian Valley SAVE Club has been working to host its Science Night on January 30 from 6-8 p.m., where the middle school students run different activities.
Science Night has been hosted by Indian Valley Middle School’s SAVE Club for eight years.
It is where students host 14 different science-related activities for kids ages 4-8 in order to spark interest in science and the environment.
The SAVE Club, also known as the Environmental Club, has been at Indian Valley for nine years.
“SAVE Club is where we get to help out the environment and teach a bunch of people why it’s important to take care of our planet,” SAVE president Maggie Markus said.
The SAVE Club members work in the garden, clean up streams, donate to soup kitchens and help run Science Night.
“I try to, especially in middle school, instill love for the environment in the kids,” SAVE advisor Suzanne Thomas said.
Science Night is when 250 kids, ages Pre-K to second grade, go to the middle school to do science activities run by the middle schoolers.
There are seven activities for the 4-year-olds and kindergarteners, and seven for the first and second graders.
“Within one day of the waitlist being out there, we had 212 kids already signed up, and we capped it at 250,” Thomas said. “I think it is a definite need for our community, and the parents really appreciate it.”
The activities run by the middle schoolers range from ecology to chemistry topics.
“I’m running Magic Milk,” SAVE member Emma Nolthenius said, “where you put food coloring and milk in a bowl, and the color explodes in the milk.”
SAVE member Bethany Nolthenius runs a different activity.
“I’m doing an insect camouflage activity,” Nolthenius said. “They’re going to color different paper beetles. They are also doing an activity where half of them hide the beetles and half of them have to look for the beetles that the other kids hid.”
There are many more activities including a recycling run, oobleck and elephant toothpaste.
“It’s just to teach them about science and do a little activity with them,” SAVE treasurer Madeline Gale said.
To run Science Night, students have to make their own lesson plans and complete Amazon order forms so that they have everything they need when the night finally arrives. They work after school and during their focus period.
“As the years go on, I am so impressed with the kids and how prepared they are,” Thomas said.