Calendar | Directions | Donate | Sitemap | Home
About Maimonides Admissions Elementary School Middle School Upper School Parents Alumni
WELCOME
CALENDAR
CURRICULUM
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
STAFF DIRECTORY
NEWS & EVENTS
  - Kol Rambam Newsletter
  - Kol Rambam Weekly
  - News Archive
PHOTO GALLERY
ISRAEL CONNECTION
ACTIVITIES & ORGANIZATIONS
ATHLETICS
LEVY LIBRARY
COLLEGE COUNSELING
SUMMER READING 2010

News Archive

2006-11-20

Maimonides Delegation Takes Part in “CSI”

Three dozen Maimonides School students took part in a recent imaginative scientific exercise designed for eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island students in Grades 6-10 by the Day School Advocacy Forum of Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

“CSI Comes to Boston” emphasized math, science and critical thinking skills as students gathered forensic evidence in a fictitious crime scene investigation. WhizKids, a nonprofit organization that helps middle and high school students become involved with math and science, coordinated the program, which took place at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Divided into teams of 12, students reviewed a list of four possible suspects and used math, physics, biology and chemistry to identify the guilty party. To "solve the crime" they examined samples of evidence and relied on their logic skills. Students were guided by more than 30 parent volunteers and members of the WhizKids staff. At the end of the exercise teams presented their solutions to each other and were awarded Certificates of Achievement.

Two of the Maimonides sixth-grade participants agreed that the experience was worthwhile. “Having this case figure out gave us a sense of responsibility,” said Elisheva Rosen. Added Joseph Rumshiskiy, “It was really fun meeting kids from the other schools. Presenting in the end was also really fun.”

Participants were involved in five experiments aimed at solving the crime, including blood analysis, hair analysis and chemical analysis. “A mystery substance was found on the scene,” Elisheva explained. “We discovered corn starch because it didn’t dissolve in water and turned black when iodine was added.” Student teams also dropped synthetic “blood” to measure spattering, and conducted math and physics computations to determine the potential of a getaway car. “One of the criminals stole a car with a hole in the gas tank,” Yosef said. “We were trying to figure how far the car would be able to drive with the hole.”

"This exercise is a great opportunity for our students," said Dr. Ilene Sussman of CJP DAF. "It gives them an opportunity to work in teams in a hands-on environment to solve problems. It also lets them apply the math and science knowledge they have developed over the years. They get to utilize the critical thinking skills they have acquired in the Jewish schools' unique dual curriculum."

Back