Seventh Grade Takes Off on a New Learning Adventure

Last week, our seventh graders swapped the SAA-SDS science labs for an out-of-this-world overnight learning adventure in Huntsville, Alabama. This two-part science expedition provided a powerful, multidisciplinary experience that bridged the content of our Junior High science courses.

During this immersive experience, the students, currently in Life Science, got a firsthand look at a variety of living organisms, directly complementing their study of the features and functions necessary for life.

The first stop on the trip was the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. At the refuge, they studied native biodiversity, food webs, and how organisms adapt to survive.  Seventh Grade Science teacher Ms. Alicia Potts explained, “Wheeler offered our students an active, real-world laboratory. They were able to observe biodiversity firsthand, learn about wetland ecosystems, and appreciate God's beautiful creation up close.” 

For the second day of the trip, our students visited the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, which offered a unique lens through which they could explore how living things adapt to and survive in extreme environments. From exploring the International Space Station’s life-support systems to discovering how microgravity impacts the human body, our students saw their classroom lessons transformed into real-world concepts.

The Space & Rocket Center visit also served as an introductory experience to the 8th Grade Physical Science curriculum, which focuses heavily on motion and forces, including Newton’s Laws of Motion, gravity, and momentum—the essential principles governing rocketry.  

The value of this trip, however, goes far beyond science education. Ms. Potts shared, “Beyond the science curriculum, our key goals for the trip were fostering class unity, building new friendships, encouraging independence, and giving students shared, memorable experiences outside the classroom. Overnight trips like this help students bond with classmates they might not interact with daily and build their social confidence.

“It was also a great opportunity for students to unplug and get face time with one another. As their teacher, it was such a joy to hear them laughing over a game of UNO and singing songs on the bus,” she reflected.