A.M.S.T.I.
What is AMSTI?
The Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative, commonly referred to as AMSTI, is the Alabama Department of Education’s initiative to improve math and science education across the state. AMSTI provides students with well-trained teachers and the equipment, materials, and resources needed for hands-on, activity-based math and science education. Also, teachers are supported and mentored by AMSTI site math and science specialists as they implement the training they received during the summer.
Visit the AMSTI homepage (http://www.amsti.org) for more information.
August 18 - Students from Mr. Lovrich and Mrs. Paulk's classes practiced using the scientific method to measure the strength of various brands of toilet paper. The students found that the "Great Value" brand proved strongest. During this activity the students had to record and analyze their data. Photo Gallery
August 24 - 6th Grade AMSTI students in Mr. Martin's class are modeling and studying the effects of a vortex. By putting glitter in the vortex bottles, students are able to observe the exchange of materials with different densities. Photo Gallery
September 4 - Mr. Lovrich’s classes are shown doing an Inquiry activity where they had to measure and mark the approximate lengths of the organs that make up the digestive system on a long plastic tube. This was done to give the students an idea of the length of the digestive tract. Students inserted an oil soaked tennis ball into the tube. The ball represented the food bolis and the oil, the mucus that coats the walls of the digestive system. Students then acted like the muscles that contract to push the food along its journey. The students discovered that the squeezing they had to do to move the food along was hard work and that it was very tiring because it had to travel 9-10 meters to be eliminated from the tube.
Click here for the photos.
September 8 - Mr. Martin's students explored the heating and cooling rates of soil and water last week. This activity forms the basis for future lessons involving wind, sea breezes, and convectional currents. Click here for some photos of this event.
September 14 - Check out the picture gallery of Mr. Lovrich's students testing carbohydrates. The gallery has 90 pictures. Click here for the photos.
September 18 - Ms. Cowart's students learned how to test the starting, stopping, and lateral friction of sneakers this week. Click here for photos of this AMSTI project.
September 21 - Carbohydrate testing in Mr. Lovrich's class! Click here for the photos.
September 22 - Mrs. Paulk's students learned to test carbohydrates and measure volume. Carbohydrate Testing Photos
Measuring Volume Photos
October 1 - Mr. Lovrich's students have been exploring the process of chemical digestion. Click here for the photos.
October 8 - In this gallery, you'll see some 7th graders learning about diffusion.
November 20 - Mrs. Paulk's classes recently learned about compression and tension forces by constructing bridges. Click here for some photos of this activity.
November 20 - Mrs. Paulk's and Mr. Lovrich's classes explored how their lungs work. Click here for some photos of their lung capacity experiment.
December 11 - Future engineers perhaps? Click here to see what Ms. Cowart's students have been building.
December 14 - Additional rollercoaster pictures from Mrs. Cowart's class.
December 14 - Mr. Lovrich's students recently completed some activities involving cellular respiration and the human circulatory system. Check out the galleries Respiration Heart Pump Model
February 3 - Mr. Lovrich's classes are practicing microscopes by completing a dollar bill scavenger hunt for various items. Microscope pictures
February 3 - Mr. Lovrich's classes recently started studying various organisms in science class. Click here to see the students in action. Photo Gallery
February 4 - Click here to see Mrs. Paulk's 8th grade students in the science lab.
February 11 - The students in Mr. Lovrich's classes played with Wow bugs! Photo Gallery
February 23 - Mrs. Paulk's 8th grade students made hot air balloons out of tissue paper. Click here for the photos.
February 23 - Mr. Lovrich and California Blackworms! Check out the pictures here.
March 9 - Mr. Lovrich's students are building ponds. See all the photos here.
April 20 - Mrs. Warren's and Mrs. Strickland's math students did some graphing. Check out the photos here.
April 21 - More AMSTI pictures!
Mrs. Warren/Mrs. Strickland 2
Mr. Lovrich - Fast Plants