Spring 2005

Laboratory adventures in biological sciences: Trying on the lab coat for size

Northwestern biology professor leads weekend program to introduce young students to real laboratory work

By Katharine Duke

“Just imagine how much fun it is for elementary and middle school children to come to Northwestern, put on lab coats that actually fit them and use the University’s state-of-the art laboratory facilities to do scientific experiments,” said Richard Morimoto, John Evans Professor of Biology at Northwestern.

Thanks to a program established by Morimoto and his wife, Joyce, each spring 60 school children don’t have to imagine how much fun it is; they find out for themselves. For four consecutive Saturdays in April and May, two groups of 30 first through seventh graders come to Northwestern to participate in the University’s Laboratory Adventures in Biological Sciences (LABS) program.

Among other things, the students examine cells, isolate DNA, experiment with genetics and learn about the human body using, as Morimoto put it, “the coolest equipment you can imagine.”

The goal is to get school-age children excited about biological science, Morimoto said. The best way to do that, he continued, is to provide an environment where the children are actually doing experiments, not just listening to lectures.

“Our program is real hands on. The kids love to get in there and make a mess,” he said. “But, at the same time, they are learning about science and learning what scientists do.”

Morimoto and his wife, an educator who designs museum exhibits for children, created the LABS program 10 years ago when their two children were in elementary school. They wanted an opportunity to teach children what science was like at a university.

“We had wonderful resources and facilities here at Northwestern, and we thought it would be great to make them available to a group of children,” said Morimoto. University officials agreed readily, and the program began.

But, the Morimotos’ vision didn’t stop with the elementary and middle school students, they also wanted high school and college-age students to be involved. They decided to pair each group of four younger students with a Northwestern undergraduate majoring in biology or biomedical engineering and a top science student from Evanston Township High School. The older students design the curriculum and help the younger students conduct the experiments. Additionally, a Northwestern senior coordinates the entire program with help from the Morimotos.

“One of the fun parts is that the high school students and the undergraduates work together on the Friday night before each session, so they really get to know the experiments as well as one another. That makes the high school students feel a part of things,” Morimoto explained. “It’s a wonderful way for young, enthusiastic people to share their love for science with even younger, enthusiastic people who aren’t sure about science but want to try it out.”

In addition to doing experiments in the lab, students also have to complete take home projects. Morimoto said he assigns the homework for two reasons: “It’s important to engage the parents, and there might be another child at home who can’t make the sessions, but might enjoy the projects.”

According to Morimoto, one of the children’s favorite take home projects uses five sterile q-tips and five sterile petri dishes. The college students ask the children to rub the sterile q-tips on five different surfaces in their homes and then rub the q-tips on the petri dishes. “Then, we let the petri dishes incubate for a week,” Morimoto said. “The children find out what grows on their teeth or the paws of their cat. It’s very real to them.”

Itay Solomon, a fifth grader at Willard Elementary School in Evanston, has participated in the LABS program since he was in first grade. He said he loves doing the experiments and using the lab equipment.

“The teachers are great, and the high school students are really fun to work with, too. It’s just a whole lot of fun being there,” he said. Solomon has recommended the program to several of his friends and to his sister, all of whom participated last year.

For more information on the program, e-mail Heather Cates at h-cates@northwestern.edu.