Justus Schneider on the Gifted Students’ Team at the 27th Inventors’ Lab

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At the 27th Inventors’ Lab organized by the Center for Chemistry, based in Bensheim an der Bergstraße, 17-year-old Justus Schneider, a student at Steinmühlen High School, was one of 16 highly gifted students who spent a week at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences exploring the topic “Electromobility—Fuel Cells.” In front of a large audience, including prominent figures from business, academia, and government ministries, he and his group presented their research ideas and proposed solutions at the event’s conclusion.

Out of nearly 200 outstanding applicants from all over Hesse, Justus was one of the 16 selected participants. He and Luca Weigel from the Lahntalschule in Biedenkopf were the only representatives from the entire county. At the Inventor Lab in the Department of Engineering at Rhein-Main University of Applied Sciences in Rüsselsheim, the young inventors were given their challenge. The challenge was to build a small vehicle on site that is powered by fuel cells. But that wasn’t all: the vehicle also had to be capable of powering other devices at the same time, including a lamp.

Fuel cells and a capacitor were among the components provided. But that was the extent of the assistance. Justus Schneider’s team built a car body out of wood and cardboard. The wheels were created using a 3D printer. The young researchers used the capacitor as an energy storage device. This allowed the lamp to stay lit even when the car was no longer moving.

 

Inspired by the topics of electric mobility and fuel cells

Producing hydrogen proved to be a test of patience. Since the fuel cells had two ports for hydrogen, this was the stated goal. In the lab, the talented young scientists broke down water through electrolysis. However, the endeavor to store hydrogen in balloons required the staying power necessary for research work. “Don’t give up” was also Justus Schneider’s motto when the balloon burst several times. It ultimately took five hours to make everything airtight.

The successful completion of this project has inspired Justus Schneider. Although he had already planned to pursue a career in research in mathematics or physics before the project, he can now imagine working on the further development of vehicles powered by fuel cells. Although such vehicles already exist, Justus Schneider says, they are relatively expensive to purchase. Justus Schneider’s idea is that gas stations could produce hydrogen themselves or have it delivered by industry. Based on his observations, he believes it would be easy to make changes in this area.

Justus was encouraged by his Steinmühlen teacher and STEM coordinator, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, to enter the competition, which had previously required practical skills. She, along with his physics teacher Dr. Rainer Nietzke and the entire school, is delighted that Steinmühle’s “streak” of participation in this prestigious event has continued this year as well.

If Justus’s work in the Inventors’ Lab did indeed serve as a catalyst for his career—so much the better. Who knows: Perhaps one day it will be a team led by Justus Schneider that achieves a breakthrough in the further development of fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

No pressure to perform: Let’s speak English!

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The English Department has received some welcome support for this semester: Simon Davison, a British national who regularly visits Marburg and has personal ties to Steinmühle, had the wonderful idea of offering a series of free conversation sessions during lunch break. Upper-level students who’d like to practice their spoken English—without the pressure to perform that comes with a typical classroom setting—are welcome to sign up. Several students have already expressed interest, and both the photo and the feedback so far suggest that it’s fun and beneficial. Those interested can contact Jeannine Walter to schedule a session. Before the Easter break, March 14 and March 28 are still available.

Skiing in Winterberg – there’s more to come

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Winter sports opportunities are practically right on our doorstep: the Sauerland region is just an hour’s drive away. So, as part of a weekend outing, a group of boarding school students set off on a trip to Winterberg.

We set out early in the morning. A variety of runs of varying difficulty, totaling 50 kilometers in length, awaited the group at the ski resort. There were even beginners among them—people who were on skis for the first time in their lives. They were in the capable hands of experienced ski instructors and enjoyed excellent conditions in the Winterberg area.

A bright blue sky and perfect weather conditions made the outing a truly wonderful day, which came to a close in the evening—exhausted but satisfied—after a smooth trip back to the boarding school.

The weekend in Winterberg was just the beginning: A weekend trip to Austria is planned for March, during which we can further build on the knowledge we’ve recently acquired and refreshed.

 

 

Great costumes and music: Lower School Celebrated Carnival

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Being able to really let loose, running around the gym in costumes to cool music, playing games, and burning off some energy—that sounds like the Steinmühlen Carnival for grades 5 and 6. The atmosphere among Steinmühlen’s youngest students couldn’t have been better, even in a traditional Carnival stronghold; it’s hard to believe that the whole thing took place in Central Hesse.

After getting dressed in their costumes and applying makeup, two appropriate costumes were selected per class for the Carnival Costume Story. The young revelers made their entrance to the polonaise at 2:00 p.m. After the presentation of the Carnival Costume Story, the Carnival Olympics began with a biathlon. The program included running, target throwing, and a three-legged race. This was followed by a disco and the much-anticipated Carnival snack, complete with French fries.

As usual, WU Sound & Light and its team provided the best music. Sam Kempkes and his team were swamped at times as people tried to get as many song requests as possible to them.

We would like to thank the teaching staff led by Frank Wemme, as well as Jasmine Weidenbach, chair of the booster club, for their flawless coordination and for actively helping to shape this “crazy” afternoon with their own original costumes.

 

Students Visit the Sparkasse: Interest Calculations in Practice

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As part of the math class for 7c, the topic of “interest calculations” was covered over the past few weeks. In this context, the students had many follow-up questions:

Why do interest rates exist, anyway? When did interest rates first come into existence? What is the current interest rate on savings and loans? Who sets the interest rates? Why are interest rates so low right now?

To find answers to these questions, the class reached out to Sparkasse Marburg-Biedenkopf. Jochen Schönleber, a member of the board of directors, invited Class 7c—along with their homeroom teacher, Lisa Braun, and their former math teacher, Eberhard Wieth—to visit the Sparkasse’s main branch. During the visit, he explained to the class the Sparkasse’s responsibilities and how it operates.

 

Questions presented as a quiz

In addition, the students asked several other questions during the visit: What was the largest loan the Sparkasse has ever granted? What happens if the Sparkasse cannot repay savings deposits? What other functions does the Sparkasse perform? Is it possible to do an internship at the Sparkasse?

Sparkasse employees Felix Müller and Julian Blöcher had prepared the students’ questions in the form of a quiz. The students took the quiz on their smartphones and learned a lot of new things in the process, including about interest rates, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) key interest rate, jobs at the Sparkasse, and more. “Numi,” the robot developed by the Sparkasse in collaboration with the University of Marburg, helped them along the way.

A final tour of the Sparkasse, with additional information provided by Deputy Branch Manager Kevin Kassner, rounded out the visit, which had been organized by Sparkasse employee Meike Stark.

Brought to Life: Understanding *Woyzeck* Better

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One of the best-known plays in German literature is Georg Büchner’s *Woyzeck*. The advanced German class in Qualification Phase 2 is also currently reading the work. To explore the thematic complex of “materialism and idealism,” the students engaged in dramatic activities. They acted out the dialogue between Woyzeck and the Captain.

The role-play allowed for the analysis not only of speaking time and content but also of facial expressions, gestures, and hierarchical relationships. Teacher Dr. Claudia Röder took a few snapshots during the performance in the forum.

 

The Steinmühle team won three awards at once

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Lena Joußen and Janina Seip, along with their advisor Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, won the “Jugend Forscht” competition

Things couldn’t have gone better at the “Jugend Forscht” regional competition for Central Hesse, held at the Klein-Linden Community Center, as Steinmühle’s participation resulted in three awards: Students Lena Noelle Joußen and Janina Seip, together with their teacher Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, won the Project Prize, the Environmental Prize, and the Advisor Prize.

“Keep going, make the most of this project’s potential, and enter the competition again.” That was the jury’s advice exactly one year ago, when the then-11th-grade students first presented their hypothesis to the panel of experts at the “Jugend Forscht” competition. They suggested that the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) might offer a solution to the plastic pollution problem. For the experiment, honeycombs infested with wax moth larvae had been placed in plastic bags. Just a short time later, the plastic was riddled with holes and crumbled. Laboratory tests confirmed that the larvae do indeed break down polyethylene (PE).

In Search of the Right Enzyme
To delve deeper into the topic, Lena and Janina set out to investigate whether the larvae of the greater wax moth harbor so-called symbionts in their intestines—that is, microorganisms that help break down plastic. Their work on the freshly deceased insect—including isolating the bacteria into a culture medium, allowing the bacteria to grow, creating bacterial clones, and performing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)—revealed that a specific gene from the bacteria was amplifying —and at the same time raised the question of whether this gene exists in nature as part of a similar enzyme that may already be known, and whether this enzyme, through its ability to break down carbon compounds, can make a decisive contribution to plastic degradation.

“We’ve taken a decisive step closer to the result,” reports biology teacher Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe. “It’s not just one bacterium. We’ve narrowed down the list of bacterial candidates to about two dozen,” says the expert. Conducting further research in this area is a matter of time and, above all, cost.


wasn’t discouraged by setbacks. According to the biologist, who holds a Ph.D., it looked as though the research wouldn’t work out until November. The twelfth-grade students carried out over 200 PCR reactions and ultimately refused to let themselves be discouraged. Thanks to plenty of words of encouragement, effective coordination, and a well-thought-out project strategy, Steinmühle also won the Advisor’s Award. The timely and pressing topic of “plastic” was a fitting focus for the environmental award. The competition’s Sponsorenpool Hessen awarded the 1,600-euro project prize in recognition of the students’ persistent, precise, and determined work.

Prerequisites Provided by the Steinmühle Student Lab
The Steinmühle student lab, equipped by the Friends of Steinmühle Association, is an essential prerequisite for the work of the young Steinmühle researchers. Jasmine Weidenbach, chairwoman of the Friends of Steinmühle, had applied for funding (5,100 euros) from Roche Germany as the main sponsor in June 2014. Headquarters approved the application a month later, and the lab was set up in the fall of 2014. The official opening of the lab took place in February 2015.

The national “Jugend Forscht” competition is organized by the foundation of the same name. Its goal is to inspire young researchers to pursue mathematics, computer science, the natural sciences, and technology, and to foster interest in these career fields.

 

“Youth Researches”: Young researchers from Steinmühlen took home plenty of awards

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Of the 15 students, 13 qualified for their respective state competitions
Steinmühlen students explored interesting everyday questions related to nutrition and nature in the “Schüler experimentieren” competition. Under this competition title—the “Jugend Forscht” category for lower and middle school students (up to age 14)—the youngest Steinmühlen students won numerous prizes: They were able to prevail against mostly older competitors. They took first place five times and second place once. The early-intervention program—featuring the so-called “GuFi Lab,” where both basic and advanced work is conducted—has thus proven its worth in an impressive way.

Phosphate in Food—How Delicious Food Can Be Dangerous
Under this title, students Mats Böhmer, Marvin Preis, and Joel Rucker, along with their advisor Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, entered the competition in the field of chemistry.

Excessively high phosphate levels in the blood can lead to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. The group of students developed testing methods to analyze the phosphate content of various foods, such as döner, bratwurst, and cola. In the process, they discovered that you consume far less phosphate from the much-criticized doner than from a cola. The project was awarded first prize and will compete in the state competition in April.

Does Diet Coke Make You Fat? – A Study of Blood Sugar Levels
In their biology class, students Rebecca Zenker and Hanna Schmidt-Dege studied blood sugar levels after consuming various sweeteners, as well as cola, Diet Coke, and potatoes.

Based on their findings, they concluded that it is best not to consume artificial sweeteners at the same time as sugar, and that potatoes do not cause blood sugar levels to rise as sharply if they are allowed to cool beforehand. The project, conducted in the Biology department under the supervision of Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, won second place.

How and how quickly does milk really go bad?
In search of an answer to this question, students Joshua Wieder, Morten Köhler, and Benjamin Schul conducted research in the Department of Chemistry. The team investigated how different types of milk spoil under various conditions. To do this, they built a temperature-control apparatus, determined the timing of curdling, and took bacterial swabs. Among other things, they found that added sugar accelerates spoilage, while longer shelf lives—even at room temperature—can be achieved by adding the sugar alcohol xylitol and by introducing air. The judges awarded first place in the same age group to the project, which was supervised by Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf. The team will now compete in the state competition.

Sunscreen for Trees
Once again in the field of chemistry, fifth-graders Mats Egbring and Leonard Berger entered the competition under the guidance of their teacher, Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe. Because his partner was unable to attend on the day of the competition, Leonard Berger presented the results. The two students isolated the leaf pigments from various colored autumn leaves and plotted them on a chromatogram. They used the leaf pigments—green, red, yellow, and brown-yellow—in solution as “sunscreen protection” against UV radiation, which simulates sunlight, on agar plates containing oral bacteria. Without color filters, bacterial growth is inhibited. The protective effect of the pigment filters ranges from 30% to 80%. The red filter provides the strongest protection against UV light. Leonard Berger received a special interdisciplinary award (equivalent to first prize) for his presentation and has been admitted to the state competition “Schüler experimentieren.”

Herbs, Tea, and More to Fight Bacteria
In their biology experiments, students Teresa Dinges, Neyla Fritz, and Sophia Rogosch (all in 5th grade), under the guidance of their teacher Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, investigated the effect of various types of tea, herbal infusions, and food-based beverages on bacterial growth. The various solutions were mixed into liquid agar, poured into Petri dishes, and oral bacteria were spread onto them. By counting the bacterial colonies, the students were able to test the inhibitory effect of the herbal, tea, and food solutions on bacterial growth. Peppermint tea and ginger tea inhibit bacterial growth the most. The project was presented by Neyla Fritz and Sophia Rogosch (Teresa Dinges was unable to attend due to her participation in the Math Olympiad). The project won first place and has thus qualified for the state competition.

The young researchers (Schüler experimentieren) in Kassel with their mentors:
From left to right: Mats Böhmer, Joel Rucker, Morten Köhler, Joshua Wieder, Leonard Berger, Marvin Preis, Benjamin Schul, Neyla Fritz, Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, Rebecca Zenker, Hanna
Schmidt-Dege, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, Sophia Rogosch. Not pictured are participants Teresa Dinges and Mats Egbring.

Electronics and Programming in Elective Classes

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As part of the elective course (WU), the offerings in the area of technology and computers were expanded this school year. Students in grades 8 and 9 had the opportunity to carry out their own electronics projects using Arduino microcontrollers. Arduino, according to Malte Klimczak, the teacher in charge, in his report, is an open-source electronics prototyping platform for flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It is primarily used by artists, designers, tinkerers, and hobbyists to bring creative ideas to life.

Various sensors (e.g., temperature, motion, light, etc.), as well as LEDs, motors, buttons, and displays, can be connected to the microcontroller. The individual components are controlled through simple programming. This allows students to create small interactive objects in a short amount of time. Among other things, the students have built a small robot that follows the light of a flashlight, a car controlled via Bluetooth and a smartphone, and a digital thermometer. In addition, a group of students independently developed a motor control system for a remote-controlled model airplane.

 

Analytical thinking is developed

The focus was not only on programming microcontrollers, but also on the practical assembly of electronic circuits. In particular, students can develop technical skills and acquire competencies in computer science and programming. Logical and analytical thinking are honed and applied in real-world situations. This program builds on physics and project-based learning and serves as a valuable supplement.

The semester concluded with a visit to the so-called “Robotikum” at Philipps University of Marburg, located on the grounds of the Adolf-Reichwein School. During the three-day workshop, the students had the opportunity to try out NAO-type humanoid robots. The robots can walk, speak, and interact with the people around them. Artificial intelligence makes these diverse interactions possible.

During the internship, the students had the opportunity to develop and test dialogues, movements, and facial recognition with the robots. The goal was not only to become familiar with the robots and understand how they work, but also to improve their own algorithmic thinking, which is particularly important in today’s digital world.

 

Winter Teepee Camp in the Lüneburg Heath

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In Kreutzen, in the Lüneburg Heath, many die-hard camping enthusiasts—who aren’t deterred even by winter temperatures—regularly gather at the Oertzewinkel campground. A group from the Steinmühle boarding school joined them and had a great time.

After a smooth drive, our team arrived at our destination around 7 p.m. Most of the approximately 25 tents on site were equipped with tent stoves and were therefore pleasantly “warm” even in sub-zero temperatures. Due to the mild weather, the boarding school group decided not to set up their stove and left it on the trailer. Instead, the Steinmühlen students focused on the barbecue that followed.

There was a lot of talk about the hobby, and when it came to camping and boating, one or two people revealed themselves to be experts. The campfire didn’t end until around 1 a.m.

Girls Showed Courage While Swimming

Saturday kicked off at 10 a.m. with a breakfast of scrambled eggs. The day’s activities included archery, blowgun shooting, slingshot shooting with paintball pellets, woodcarving, chopping wood, cutting deadwood in the forest, and gathering firewood.

The real die-hards—especially the women in the group—actually dared to go swimming. In the evening, we enjoyed pasta Bolognese around the campfire, a cozy get-together, and singing.

Applause for Felix’s singing

After refueling with pancakes, it was already time once again—late Sunday morning—to take everything down and clean up. The group trickled back into the Steinmühle around 4 p.m.

Felix sang for others around “strangers’” campfires on both evenings and received lots of applause. The Steinmühlen group was very well received by the other campers, and everyone is looking forward to seeing us again next year.

 

 
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Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

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