'Journal Tribune' features story on Biddeford Middle School students’ trip to UNE for study of neuroscience and marine science

The April 25th issue of the Journal Tribune featured a front-page article on a field trip that seventh-grade students at Biddeford Middle School (BMS) took to the University of New England to study neuroscience and marine science.

Eighty BMS students, who are part of teacher Ann Putney’s science classes, had a hands-on learning experience that involved dissecting a sheep’s brain and handling marine life.

The article reported that the field trip coincided with new science standards that are being adopted by 26 states, including Maine—standards that seek to make schools take a more integrative approach to science.

Associate Professor James Sulikowski, Ph.D., of the Department of Marine Sciences, extolled the benefits of bringing young students to UNE for hands-on lessons in science in which “everyone is engaged.”  He noted that such experiences can show the children that “this is something they can attain if they work hard for it.”