Regeneron inspires student scientists

Boy writing down his scientific observations

Regeneron scientists paid virtual visits to every City School District of Albany third grade on Friday and guided students in hands-on STEM experiments with a Halloween twist.

The student scientists learned about density and buoyancy by testing whether Halloween candy favorites Laffy Taffy, Skittles, Smarties and Gobstobbers float when placed in water (spoiler alert: they all sink).

They also created their own “blood” using red licorice pieces to represent red blood cells, marshmallows as white blood cells and sprinkles as platelets, all in a corn syrup solution. As they created their mixture, they learned about the important role each part of blood plays in keeping us healthy.

Visit our Facebook page to see photos of students doing experiments in Jane Fox’s class at Delaware Community School. (You don't need a Facebook account to see the photos. A window may appear that says, "To see more from Albany City Schools on Facebook, log on or create an account,” but you can dismiss it by clicking “not now.”)

Every school’s third grade had its own Regeneron scientist that interacted with students and their teachers as the experiments were underway. Students also made Halloween-themed windsocks and observed a homemade volcano eruption.

Students were able to take home their creations at the end of the school day.

A huge thank you to our amazing community partners at Regeneron, who provided the scientists AND all the materials for the experiments.