Secondary students at Hershey Christian Academy have been learning about science with two new experimental lab rats named Loki and Thomas.
The classes are studying the effects of diet on the two albino lab rats. Loki, the control rat, drinks whole milk for three weeks while Thomas, the treatment rat, drinks sugar water. The students are treating both rats the same in every other way. During the fourth week of the experiment, the liquids are switched. Through careful observation, including weighing the rats, measuring their tail length, and noting behavioral differences, the student scientists are learning lessons about the role that animals play in biomedical research. Students also witness the effect of nutrition on growth and are challenged to reflect on their own food behaviors.
The experiment was made possible through the generosity of the Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research (PSBR). For more information on The Great Grow Along curriculum and other educational resources available to the public, readers may visit http://www.psbr.org.
Hershey Christian Academy is committed to cultivating an educational environment where students are challenged to think independently and purposefully. The school is enrolling prekindergarten through 10th grade for the 2020-21 school year. To learn more about the school and to schedule a tour or attend an open house, readers may visit http://www.hersheychristianacademy.org or call 717-312-7595.
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