Cabrini High School’s Science Squad visited St. Rosalie School in Harvey, LA to introduce their students to some interesting science experiments.
Cabrini Science Instructors, Kathy Gosciniak and Lisa Surgi with the assistance of Cabrini students who are St. Rosalie alumnae Miranda Musacchia’17, and Angelle Falcon’17, led sixty members of Ms. Rotolo’s fifth grade science classes in a series of scientific tests on the properties of various toothpastes.
The Science Squad performed a series of physical tests on toothpastes, their ingredients and properties, including color/smell, abrasiveness, fluoride content, pH, and foaming properties. The young St. Rosalie “scientists” worked in pairs, utilizing stereoscopes, testing different brands of toothpaste. After the testing, the students shared their data with other pairs, compiling the data to create a more comprehensive database. The results of their research indicated there was little difference in the outcome among the five toothpaste brands tested, specifically not significant to justify the price differential among the brands.
“We received a positive response from Julie Rotolo the 4th grade teacher at St. Rosalie, as she was surprised with the amount of testing that could be done within one class period,” noted Cabrini AP Chemistry/Chemistry Instructor Kathy Gosciniak. She continued, “the St. Rosalie students seemed to really enjoy the activity, so we hope this simple demonstration will help to spark their curiosity and interest in science.”