Successful Young Researchers at the IJSO

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For the second time, Hanna Schmidt-Dege (7a), Sabrina Ben Amor, Julius Henkel, Thorben Heß, David Immel, Luca Krantz, Max Posingies, Marvin Preis, and Joel Rucker (all 7c) took part in the International Junior Science Olympiad, which this year had the theme “All About Ink.” In this competition, children and teenagers up to age 15, under the supervision of a teacher, can work on various competition tasks either alone or in small groups. The most important part of each task is an experiment that must be conducted, documented, and evaluated. This year, for example, the students investigated what happens to ink when it is “erased” with an ink eraser, and they made their own ink using various recipes. In two additional experiments, they used ink to examine water transport in flowers more closely and to visualize particle movement in liquids of varying concentrations and temperatures.

The students were able to conduct the experiments during their regular physics classes and thus also make use of the school’s resources (e.g., the student lab, physics equipment collection). The results show that everyone learned from last year’s experiences and acquired a high level of experimental competence.

Marvin Preis (7c), who not only participated in this year’s Olympiad but also successfully competed in the “Jugend experimentiert” contest last year, advanced to the next round of the competition. There, he had to answer a total of 24 quiz questions on various topics in the natural sciences that went far beyond the school curriculum for his age group. Marvin rose to this challenge as well and qualified for the next round—a written exam—which will take place in June, and we wish him the best of luck.

Further Support for Education from the Chemical Industry Fund

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Every three years, secondary schools can apply to the Chemical Industry Fund for financial support for experimental science instruction. Steinmühle regularly applies for these grants. In the spring, another €2,500 was approved. With these funds, the school has since been able to purchase new molecular building sets and magnetic applications for modeling chemical processes and concepts, as well as additional specialized literature. With an attachment for carbon dioxide cylinders designed to compress dry ice tablets, small amounts of dry ice can now be produced right at the school. Experiments with dry ice are among the most popular activities among the students. Additional experimental materials for student experiments have also been purchased and will be gradually added in the coming weeks.



Experiments with dry ice are fascinating

 



Models make it easier to understand chemical structures and reactions

 


Smart sensors, when used in conjunction with a tablet or smartphone, enable the measurement of various parameters over time

 


Conductivity can be measured very easily using LEDs

Bio-Olympics with a State Seminar at TU Darmstadt

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Conduct Biochemical Experiments Yourself and explore new areas of biology

First things first: You don’t have to be in the advanced biology class—this is all about personal interest and extracurricular involvement! The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is an annual competition for high school students that consists of four rounds. After successfully completing written knowledge tests and practical lab work, the four top German students will travel to the host country of the respective Olympiad for the final round. This year, that country is Japan (Nagasaki).

In my first year participating, I made it to the second round and, as one of the top ten students from Hesse, was invited to attend a four-day state seminar at TU Darmstadt. Throughout the entire time, I was supervised by Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, who serves as the contact person at Steinmühle for student competitions in biology.

 

Requirements Beyond the High School Level

In the first round, four open-ended problems are presented covering all areas of biology. The difficulty level exceeds that of high school, but participants may use any relevant reference materials to solve the problems. The submitted solutions, in the form of a term paper, are reviewed by the supervising teacher. For me, the decision to participate in the Biology Olympiad wasn’t based on the expectation that I would definitely advance to the third and fourth rounds. My primary goal was to take advantage of the opportunity to tackle more challenging problems in biology, since I plan to study medicine after graduating from high school and enjoy taking on new challenges.

The first round requires a significant time commitment, but for me it was worth it—both to gain new knowledge in the fields of botany, genetics, zoology, physiology, systematics, and biochemistry, and to practice writing a scientific paper.

About half of all participants made it to the second round this year. In roughly two hours, they had to complete 30 multiple-choice questions and eight more complex problems. The resources available on the IBO website, as well as past exams, offer a useful way to prepare for this very challenging test and familiarize yourself with the format. Overall, I can say that there is no foolproof way to prepare for this round, as some of the questions present challenges even for biology teachers with a degree in biology.

 

Final Presentation

The top 10 participants from Hesse in the second round will then be invited to Darmstadt as a “reward for their achievements.” Working in teams of two, under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer, we were able to set up bacterial cultures, measure and record their growth, and perform biochemical procedures such as plasmid isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gel electrophoresis ourselves. On one of the four days, we had the opportunity to explore other areas of biology in small groups and actively try out more complex biological techniques. In addition to topics such as neurophysiology (measuring action potentials in neurons), fluorescence and electron microscopy (learning about and testing how they work), and RNA methods (Western blotting), we also explored live-cell imaging. My experience in the field of live-cell microscopy was very positive, as we received excellent guidance and the professor in charge even took the time personally to answer our questions. The program concluded with short presentations by each small group on their findings from the individual experiments.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the work in the lab at TU Darmstadt, and since the internship isn’t graded, I can really recommend it!

 

Encouragement to Participate

To all interested high school students: If you’d like to give yourself the chance this year to challenge yourself and—by participating—not only earn credit toward your biology qualification but also gain hands-on experience working in a university lab under the guidance of a professional instructor, talk to your biology teacher and start working on the first-round assignments for this year’s Biology Olympiad as early as April! Have fun and good luck! (My results: Round 1: 13th place in Hesse, 182nd out of 1,165 in Germany; Round 2: 6th place in Hesse, 54th out of 518 in Germany)

(Carolin Mauersberger)

Steinmühle won top honors and special prizes at regional “Jugend Forscht” competitions

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With a total of six projects, Steinmühle competed this year in the regional competitions in Lollar and Kassel. Three teams took first place, thereby qualifying for the state competitions in Darmstadt and Kassel in the “Schüler experimentieren” category. Three teams earned a special award.

Noteworthy is the participation of teams from various grade levels—from the lower school to the upper school. Grade 6 was represented twice, while grades 8, 9, 11, and 13 were each represented once. The subject areas were also quite diverse: research and experiments were conducted three times in biology and once each in chemistry, physics, and earth and space sciences.

Leonard Berger, Mats Egbring, and Leontin Schmidt were the sixth-graders who, in the “Schüler experimentieren” under the guidance of teachers Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, and also took home the special prize for environmental technology. They compared organic fields with conventional fields. In doing so, they analyzed a total of nearly 20 soil samples and found that organic fields scored highly both due to their low nitrate levels and their ability to bind and subsequently release nutrients. Conventional fields—and especially those fertilized with liquid manure—almost universally exhibited concerning levels of nitrate and nitrite. The jury deemed the topic, the project, and its results worthy of the highest possible ranking. Next up is the state competition in Kassel.

 

Not enough oxygen in the shoe

Morten Köhler, Benjamin Schul, and Joshua Wieder from 9th grade investigated why heat pads don’t work in ski boots. The three students had gotten cold feet during the Steinmühle ski trip and noticed that heat pads for feet—which are supposed to provide relief—work very poorly. They investigated the chemical reaction and found—in part by measuring temperature and oxygen curves—that there is simply not enough oxygen inside ski boots. As a result, the desired reaction quickly comes to a halt.

Under the guidance of teacher Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, they used smartphone-controlled temperature sensors and an oxygen probe controlled by an Arduino. Arduino microcontroller boards were first introduced at Steinmühle by Malte Klimczak in the elective technology class and were also used here to address chemistry problems. These three students also won first place in chemistry for the best interdisciplinary project and can look forward to competing in the state competition in Darmstadt.

 

How Flour Beetles “Break Down” Styrofoam

Clara Müller, Marie Englert, and Jennifer Weber, all 11th-grade students, investigated—under the guidance of Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe—whether bacteria in the gut flora of mealworm larvae play a role in the degradation of Styrofoam. The students observed the feeding behavior of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) under various conditions. Using molecular biology methods (PCR, genomic and PCR DNA isolation, DNA quantification with a photometer, gel electrophoresis, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing performed by Eurofins Genomics, Ebersberg), they examined 230 different bacterial clones from the larvae’s gut flora for their phylogenetic relationships and their ability to degrade polystyrene. In the process, they identified several bacterial clones from the Enterobacteriaceae family that can degrade the plastic in a nutrient solution. The genome of one of these clones (Clone No. 43) was fully sequenced (approximately 6 million base pairs) by Eurofins Genomics on their behalf in order to search the genome for coding regions for enzymes that might be involved in styrene degradation. The students also presented a possible mechanism for the chemical process of styrene degradation. As a special prize, the trio received a one-year subscription to the scientific journal “Bild der Wissenschaft.”

 

Connecting with the University Through a Competition

Ronja Rosenkranz, a 13th-grade student, impressed the jury in the physics category. She investigated what causes voice changes when inhaling helium. Students asked themselves this question in the 5th-grade NaUnt course taught by Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf. Ronja quickly realized that the explanation found almost everywhere is only partially correct and that the phenomenon is much more complex than previously thought. She developed various experimental setups to get to the bottom of the matter. The jury particularly emphasized her highly scientific approach to this question. Through the competition, she quickly established contacts with the University of Marburg, making it possible to conduct measurements in the Department of Phoniatrics. First place in physics for this project and the special prize for acoustics also qualify Ronja Rosenkranz for the state competition in Darmstadt.

 

What Earthworms Like

In the “Schüler experimentieren” competition, led by Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, young researchers Teresa Dinges (Class 6b) and Sophia Rogosch (6c) investigated the potential effects of earthworms on soil and climate. In this project, the students took a close look at the behavior of the native earthworm Lumbricus terrestris and its interaction with soil bacteria. In the process, they discovered:

  • the type of soil that earthworms prefer
  • what soil conditions he avoids (pH level, calcareous soil, sandy soil, etc.)
  • that earthworms produce significant amounts of the greenhouse gas CO2 in the soil through their interaction with soil bacteria.
  • that the bacterial families present in the soil differ from those found in earthworm feces.

 

The Environment of Horsehide

Silas Krüger and Jan Vollmer (both in Class 8c) wanted to learn more about “life on a horse’s skin.” Under the guidance of Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, the students examined various skin areas of two horses (skin, ear, nose, mouth) for bacterial colonization—the so-called microbiome. In the process, they discovered that the summer microbiome differs significantly from the winter microbiome—that is, different bacterial families are found on the various skin areas in summer than in winter. This corresponds to the different skin functions under varying climatic conditions.

 

Junior Science Olympiad: Even the youngest participants worked independently and successfully

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The first round of the 17th International Junior Science Olympiad took place between early December and mid-January. During this round, children and teenagers up to age 15 had the opportunity to conduct, document, and analyze experiments on a specific topic—this year, “ink.” This competition offers students an accessible introduction to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and is designed to spark an interest in inquiry-based learning—particularly in an interdisciplinary context—that goes far beyond the standard school curriculum.

A total of 10 students took on the challenge at the Steinmühle under the guidance of their NaUnt teacher, Julia Riemenschneider: Liliane Albrecht, Mats Egbring, Maximilian Glock, Lilian Gräser, Max Krug, Antonia Kurlinsky, Stella Preiß, Konrad Rothmann, Jonathan Wolff, and Philipp Zielen. Alongside their regular classes, they worked with great enthusiasm on the experiments, which they conducted and documented using only everyday materials. The tasks posed a particularly significant challenge, especially for the youngest participants in the competition. Despite this, they were able to successfully complete the experiments on their own, demonstrating great enthusiasm for STEM subjects.
Julia Riemenschneider

“Amazon Ants” and “Math Magicians” took second place statewide in Hesse

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“Can you guys double-check if what we’ve checked off here is right?” “I’m on a hot lead for Problem 8 right now.” “How do you factor again?” “You cross out something at the top and something at the bottom.” “I know the p-q formula. Am I smart or am I not smart?”—Those were the actual words of Aliena, Paula, Joshua, and Konstantin from Class 9a as they worked on the problems for the Bolyai Team Math Competition.

What is not allowed in regular class exams or tests is, in fact, encouraged in this new math competition: Two to four students from the same grade form a team and work together to determine which of five given answers is correct for a math puzzle. Anything is possible, ranging from “none” to “all 5 answers.”

“The ability to work together is a core value in our lives”—that’s the motto of this competition, which originated in Hungary and has only been offered in Germany for the past five years. The two girls and two boys from class 9a agreed to participate in Bolyai without a moment’s hesitation. They spent more time discussing their team name. They ultimately competed as the Amazon Ants (“They’re the strongest animals in the world relative to their body weight,” Joshua had explained) and were very successful. Out of 61 participating teams in Hesse, they took second place and received certificates, T-shirts, and the 2019 Bolyai Competition yearbook containing all the problems and solutions.

Just like last year, Teresa Dinges (6b) and Sophia Rogosch (6c), along with two students from the Gymnasium Philippinum, competed in the Bolyai Competition as “Die Mathemagier.” They were just as successful as last year and took second place among 103 participating groups of sixth graders in Hesse.

Congratulations to both successful math teams!
Gisela Opper

“Share your knowledge with the world” — Successful math YouTuber Daniel Jung spoke at the Steinmühle

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He is a regular guest speaker at well-known companies, but he has never been invited by a school. — School principal Björn Gemmer wasn’t willing to let this statement by Germany’s most famous math YouTuber, Daniel Jung, in an article in Deutsche Bahn’s customer magazine stand unchallenged. The school administration and Steinmühle management secured the “math rock star’s” agreement to give a talk at Steinmühle. On Wednesday evening, he filled the audience seats in the forum.

He doesn’t waste time with long introductions in his videos. Daniel Jung gets right to the point—and that’s exactly what his well over 600,000 followers seem to love. It’s not about beauty, fashion, or fitness like it is for countless other YouTubers. Daniel Jung’s passion is—mathematics! Laughter fills the hall as the speaker on the Steinmühlen stage mimics the way he steps into the frame in front of the camera in his videos—and then steps back out again. That’s how many people who search the internet for solutions to math problems—and find them—know him.

Born in Remscheid in 1981, Jung has compiled over 2,200 explanatory videos covering topics such as stochastics, systems of linear equations, and other mathematical problems that give many high school and college students a hard time. The videos, each just a few minutes long, are a huge hit on YouTube. His videos have already been viewed over 200 million times. The thank-you comments under his videos speak for themselves. “Oh my God, you saved my butt on my final exams,” one comment reads, for example. Or: “I learned more from you in 60 seconds than I did in half a year of math class.”

 

Breaking Down a Generational Conflict

Yet this eloquent man in his late thirties, who studied math and sports but ultimately did not pursue a teaching career in the traditional school setting, does not see himself as competition for schools, but rather as a complement: “We need the structured school environment, ‘but people aren’t built for 45 minutes of high-pressure learning.’” In addition, it has been proven that an individual teacher can achieve more than group instruction. And: “My material is accessible from anywhere, at any time.” Daniel Jung, who, among other things, contributes to the platform mathefragen.de and founded the Daniel Jung Academy, sees himself as an entrepreneur. His goal is to decipher “new learning,” break down a generational divide, and make it clear: “It’s not just thick books that can impart knowledge—the internet can, too.”
With his approach—projected powerfully onto the Forum’s screen—Jung delivers a thunderclap: “The way we teach and learn is at a turning point unlike any we’ve seen in a thousand years.” Even statements from dissenters—who demonized educational videos by claiming they were to school learning what Amazon is to retail—did nothing to change this. “We should meet young people where they already are—namely, on the internet,” said the speaker.
He therefore encouraged students and teachers to use the Internet to share interesting content: “Share your knowledge with the world. It’s fun to help others.”

From Accident Prevention to “Bouncy Crowds”: The Advanced Chemistry Class Took a Field Trip to TU Darmstadt

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At the end of September, the advanced chemistry class of the graduating senior class traveled with their teacher, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, to the Technical University in Darmstadt.

The goal of the field trip was to learn about various topics related to “plastics” and “equilibria.” Getting to know a chemistry lab and conducting educational experiments in a university setting were intended to provide insights into a potential future degree program. After a two-hour train ride, the group headed straight to the university, where they first received an introduction to the topic of “plastics” and the experiment they would be conducting. The experiment involved synthesizing polydimethylsiloxane to produce silicones. The group also received detailed instruction on safety and protective equipment before beginning the experiment to prevent potential accidents in the lab.

The first part of the experiment on the production of silicones—synthetic polymers in which silicon atoms are linked to one another via oxygen atoms—took place on the morning of the day we arrived. We also had lunch in the university cafeteria.

This was followed in the afternoon by the second part of the experiment—cross-linking the oligo- or polydimethylsiloxane with boric acid; the results were “bouncy ball-like,” colorful masses. Afterward, the class headed to a nearby youth hostel. The students spent the evening with their teacher, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, enjoying a cozy get-together over dinner at a nearby pub.

Insightful Impressions

On the second day of the field trip, the university course covered the topic of “chemical equilibria” and conducted experiments to determine an equilibrium constant using spectrophotometry. In the course of this, the class also learned how to use a “Graphical Analysis app” to analyze and evaluate the results obtained; based on these measured values (the slope of the graph and the y-intercept), the equilibrium constants they were seeking could be calculated. In the afternoon, the advanced chemistry class headed back to Marburg, taking with them valuable insights and new experiences, both in terms of academic knowledge and career orientation.

Earlier this year, students in the advanced chemistry class had the opportunity to get a glimpse into what it’s like to study chemistry at Philipps University of Marburg. The topic of this workshop was plastics. The students in the advanced chemistry class learned about the various synthesis methods and how to use the tools of the trade.

Lena Noelle Joußen and Svenja Winter

“Jugend Forscht” Training Trip for Winners of the State Advisor Awards

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Under the motto “Jugend Forscht Offers More,” the award-winning mentors from the individual federal states gathered for an interesting professional development trip from November 15 to 17, 2019.
Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, a teacher at Steinmühlen School, was awarded the Mentor Prize for Hesse at the state-level “Jugend forscht” competition in Kassel. A varied program awaited her in Paderborn, to which the “Jugend forscht” ambassadors from the federal states were also invited. In addition to exciting program activities, there was also ample time and opportunity for collegial exchange in a relaxed atmosphere.
It was particularly interesting to see how differently individual schools organize their participation in the “Jugend forscht” competition, depending in part on the specific conditions and opportunities in each federal state.
The new contacts made, as well as the many stimulating conversations and ideas, will certainly be valuable for the further development of the “Jugend Forscht” projects at Steinmühle.

(Photo: Award-winning mentors with the ambassadors from the federal states and the organizers “on the moon” at the Heinz Nixdorf Museum)

Mobile Chemikum Returns to the Steinmühle Fall Festival

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As it does every year, WU-Forschen is represented at the Fall Festival with a hands-on booth. This year, our students received support from the mobile Chemikum Marburg—just as they did in 2015. The Steinmühle Friends Association made this collaboration possible.
In addition to hands-on experiments with secret codes, alginates, dry ice, and much more, the Chemikum also demonstrated the popular “ball explosion” (photo).
There was a lot of interest at the booth. Younger children, especially those from the bilingual elementary school, were able to learn a lot and have fun here.

 
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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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