Some students aren’t just wearing masks to class; they’re experimenting on them.
Inspired by the daily use of masks during the pandemic, fifth-grade students at New Albany Intermediate School in Ohio set out to measure the effectiveness of different mask types and brands by their ability to prevent droplet transmission. Using black lights, food coloring, and a range of mask brands, students learned how aerosol particles travel, how masks work to mitigate transmission, and how different types of masks offer varying levels of protection, says teacher Pete Barnes.
close modal
Credit of Pete Barnes
Barnes’s students aren’t the only ones using the pandemic as a teachable moment educators all around the country have been developing lesson plans to help students make sense of the unprecedented time in history and take appropriate precautions to protect themselves, even as students increasingly return to in-person schooling.