Topeka Collegiate School sixth grade students study Earth Science each year. During their studies they learn about types of rocks, the evolution of life on the planet Earth, the Earth's chemistry, weather, maps, and lots more. They do experiments, have class discussions, and learn to keep good notes. They take field trips too! Mr. Larry L. Miller is the 6th grade Earth Science instructor at Topeka Collegiate School. The 6th grade students meet for two 90 minute periods per week, and each section is limited to 18 or fewer students.
The focus of the Topeka Collegiate School seventh grade each year is Life Science. The students learn about all kinds of living things by reading, doing experiments, having discussions, watching educational videos, and taking field trips. They also study the classification of living things and learn about the evolution of life on the planet Earth. The students keep a few interesting living critters in their classroom to study. Some of these critters include a large bullsnake, a tokay gecko, some native fish, and sometimes examples of some of the lizards of the genus Lacerta. The Lacerta's are interesting lizards that have established themselves near the school after becoming established in the Topeka area in the 1950's. They became established (along with at least one other species of lizard) after several specimens escaped from a pet shop that was located near the school. The 7th grade life science class meets for two 90 minute periods and one 45 minute period each week. Mr. Larry L. Miller is the instructor.
Eighth grade students at Topeka Collegiate enjoy a year of physical science experiments, field trips, and a variety of other scientific activities. Their physical science labs involve many unique and educational experiements in regard to characteristic properties of matter. They learn how to set up controled experiments and then successfully conduct them while carefully recording data. Experiments ranging from the distillation of wood to measuring the density of gases are conducted by TCS eighth graders. TCS eighth grade students also participate in such events as the auuual Egg Drop which is held at the Capitol Building each year (see link on TCS_Winners page to Egg Drop article), and they take an extended trip each spring to places such as Chicago and Washington, D.C. The TCS 8th grade meets for two 90 minute class periods and one 45 minute class period each week. Mr. Larry L. Miller is the science instructor. Mr. Miller also serves as one of the 8th grade homeroom teachers.
The students and staff at Topeka Collegiate School take advantage of lots of "science extras" whenever possible. They often jump at the chance to become involved with unique and exciting educational opportunities. Examples have included helping with annual amphibian and reptile surveys conducted by the Kansas Herpetological Society, holding an annual science or environmental day and inviting a diversity of people including Topeka Collegiate School lower school students, experimenting with electives involving photography and other science related fields, becoming politically involved with environmental issues that sometimes turn out to be quite controversial, becoming involved with a wide variety of summer activities via the Topeka Collegiate School Summer Adventures program, and then there is the "Egg Drop" competition. ********** HERPETOLOGY STUDENTS HELP WITH GOVERNMENT RESEARCH IN NEW MEXICO... During the spring of 1999 a group of TCS students were invited to assist with a survey of the amphibians, reptiles, and turtles that could be found on a vast area of government owned grasslands in northeastern New Mexico and parts of the Oklahoma and Texas panhandle. The students, which were members of the TCS herpetoloy elective class at TCS, spent a week in the area working with such noted herpetologists as Joseph and Suzanne Collins. Two of their science teachers, Mr. Larry L. Miller and Ms. Mary Kate Baldwin, sponsored the students and worked with them during the week long adventure. During the summer of 1999 Mr. Miller returned with two TCS graduates to assist the Collins' and others with work on the grasslands of the area. They put in long hours, but their work paid off. Several new species were documented during their adventures. *********** TCS CONTINUES TO HELP WITH THE SUMNER COUNTY, KANSAS HERP COUNTS... Students from herpetology classes at Topeka Collegiate School participate yearly in the Sumner County, Kansas herp counts that are held south of Caldwell, Kansas near the Oklahoma border. Herp counts have been taking place in the area yearly since 1977. TCS students have been involved since the early 1990's.
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PLEASE NOTE that the information in regard to the TCS Middle School Science program may not be valid after the 2000-2001 school year. Mr. Miller resigned his position as TCS Middle School Science Instructor at the end of the 2000-2001 School year. Check the official TCS website at www.topekacollegiate.org for updated information. ############################################################################################################################################