Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-05-18
BY ANDREW w. BINGHAM
Star Staff Writer

Star Stan Writer
Some third-graders at Beers
School today paved the way
for a major reorganization of
the Districts elementary sci
ence program.
During a special open house
at the school, Thirty-Sixth
place and Alabama avenue
Sc, the youngsters demon
Strated the success of a year.
old experiment for teaching
science and mathematics as
one subject.
In some cases the children
were doing work which they
would not normally get until
the 18th grade.
Keith johnson, supervising
director of the science depart
ment. told the gleeful group
that "a high school physics
teacher would say it couldn't
be done-but you have done it,"
He announced plans to in
troduce the new teaching tech
nique next year in other ele-
mentary classes throughout
the city.
IT feel strongly" he said.
that we should do this in
many areas of our elementary
science program"
Reorganization Needed
To reorganize the existing
course of study. he said. will
take several years. 1t will be
done as quickly as possible, he
indicated.
The experimental program at
Beers this year is one part of
an area-wide project-involv-
ing public, private and paro-
chial schools-trying to relate
more closely the teaching of
mathematics and science at
both the elementary and Sec
ondary level.
The entire project has been
organized and supported by
the Joint Board on Science
Education, with the help of a
grant from the National
Science Foundation.
DR.. John K. Taylor, director
of the project. reported that all
the participating schools are
enthusiastic about the new ap-
proach. They all want to con-
tinue on an experimental basis
next year.
First Permanent Move
With Mr.. Johnson's an
nouncement, however, the Dis
trict schools become the first
to decide to introduce the new
approach throughout the sys-
tenn on a permanent basis.
What the third grade class
at Beers has done this year is
to take basic science concepts
and to develop them as far as
possible with the help of
mathematical skills.
Instead of simply learning
that some objects float in water
and others don't. for instance.
the youngsters know why this
happens; they can also figure
out the actual water displace-
ment of objects.
One group of children gave
a demonstration to show the
different states of water. They
were using graphs and charts
which they wouldn't normally
know about until the Junior
high level. With great facility
they were using. the metric
system-also not normally in
troduced before the seventh
grade. And the actual expert
ment, according to Mr.. john
son. is virtually identical with
the one 18th grade physics
students do.
Others in Demonstration
Other members of the class
demonstrated their understand
! ing of molecules, thermometers,
the weather, weights of liquids,
and geometry. Any one of the
youngsters, according to Mr.
i, johnson. knows perfectly we'll
, the relationships between mil
, Filters, grams and cubic cent?
meters.
"They can come as close as
a high school physics student
; in computing the weight of 10
milliliters of mercury" he said
The teacher of the Beers
e class is Mrs. Gladys K. Det-
terer. She insists the young
D sters as a group are of only
Y average ability, that she has
: spent no more than the regu'
lar amount of time on science