Principles of Biomedical Science students at STEAM engage in hands-on blood spatter lab

Students at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy conducted experiments examining how blood spatter reacts when dropped from different heights in their Principles of Biomedical Science class on Thursday, October 31, 2024. These experiments are just one step in their project of investigating a crime scene using different biological principles.

Public School Review recently ranked Mount Vernon STEAM Academy as the #22 public high school in Westchester County. To celebrate this ranking, we are taking a deeper look at the innovative programming at the STEAM Academy in a series of articles.

Throughout their Principles of Biomedical Science project, students examine a crime scene from the death of a fictional character named Anna Garcia. In their lessons, they use various scientific principles to learn more about her death.

“In this blood spatter lab, students designed an experiment to test the effect of dropping height on the diameter of blood droplets,” said TJ Pufahl, science teacher at STEAM.  “They are dropping blood from various heights and will measure the diameter of each droplet. They will record and graph their data and create a line of best fit to determine if there is a correlation between height dropped and size of blood droplet.”

Splitting into groups, students measured 20 different heights and released a droplet of blood from each. They examined, measured and labeled the droplets. With this information, they will be able to determine the height at which Anna Garcia’s blood dropped based on the size of the droplets. This will help them better understand the nature of her death. 

“I’m more of a visual learner, and when I actually get to do the stuff that we’re learning it really helps me because I get to see what's happening and participate in what we’re doing,” said Laith Issa, a 10th-grade student at STEAM. “The class is fun; we have a lot of activities to do.”

Students in the class were engaged throughout the project, and their enjoyment of the lessons has sparked an even further interest in science.

“Instead of just giving us paperwork and reading questions and answering, this gives us more excitement to come to school and come to class and be happy to learn,” said Kareena Rainford, a 10th grade student at STEAM. “When you enjoy something, it sticks with you more than you just doing something and forgetting about it. I definitely would like to continue studying this.”

In all subjects at STEAM, teachers are providing students with exciting and unique opportunities that make them excited to come to school and learn every day.