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Tamaqua Area fourth graders use Curiosity Cube

Tamaqua Area School District fourth graders spent a recent day performing experiments inside a mobile lab that visited Tamaqua Elementary School thanks to EMD Electronics in Hometown.

It was the first time for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) lab, called the Curiosity Cube, to make a stop in Schuylkill County.

Elementary Principal Tara Orefice said the students from Tamaqua and West Penn elementary schools enjoyed three hands-on experiments that dealt with the decomposition of T-shirts.

“In one of the experiments, the students learned how long it takes T-shirts to break down, and were able to make their own bracelets out of fabrics used to make T-shirts,” she said.

Teacher Scott Schalles said the activity was a hit.

“With Taylor Swift and her bracelets being so popular, many of the students liked making their own bracelets and picking the different color combinations,” he said.

Orefice said another experiment asked students to explore types of fibers to learn about the differences between natural and synthetic materials.

Students also learned about renewable resources and energy.

“They did an experiment by making a light glow by only using a battery and a fan,” Orefice said. “It is related to T-shirts and how much energy it takes to make 20 billion T-shirts a year.”

Schalles said the students were impressed and surprised by how the fans were able to power a light.

“The Curiosity Cube was a great experience and is an engaging activity I would recommend for any school,” he said.

Kelly Hansbury, workforce planning project manager at EMD Electronics, said that EMD is part of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates in the sectors of electronics, health care and life science.

“The Curiosity Cube is a STEM initiative driven by our life science business, MilliporeSigma,” she said. “We partnered with them to bring the Curiosity Cube to Schuylkill County, as part of EMD Electronics’ commitment to community engagement, education and outreach.”

The Curiosity Cube is a retrofitted shipping container that travels throughout North America and Europe and stops at schools, summer camps, parks, festivals and museums.

Left: Tamaqua and West Penn fourth grade students received a visit from the Curiosity Cube, a retrofitted shipping container mobile lab that allowed them to perform a number of hands-on experiments. The cube’s visit was arranged by EMD Electronics in Hometown.
Above: Students in the fourth grade at Tamaqua and West Penn elementary schools use the mobile lab known as the Curiosity Cube during the cube’s first-ever stop in Schuylkill County. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS