On 17 and 19 November, students from classes 7c and 8c, together with their teacher Dr Ahke, discovered what scientific work looks like in the modern laboratories of the Free University of Berlin.
Class 8c spent an exciting experimental day at the NatLab, embedded in an escape room centred around the mysterious “enigmatic Galmei Society”. To uncover its secret, the students needed both scientific skill and strong teamwork. In the first part of the day, small groups reconstructed the steps of industrial zinc extraction. Afterwards, they explored two important everyday applications of the element: the zinc–air batteryand brass.
Along the way, they also revealed the “dream” of all alchemists—turning base metals into gold. In addition, the students gained insights into the environmental impacts of zinc mining and the biological importance of zinc, also known as the “Galmei violet”.
All groups carried out every experiment independently and solved numerous puzzles. In the end, it became clear that only by working together could the class unveil the secret of the Galmei Society.
Class 7c conducted research at the NatLab on the topic of “Ice and Crystals”. Accompanied by Yuki, a sparkling snowflake, they learned how water freezes into symmetrical ice crystals—and how quickly warmth causes them to melt again. Road salt also posed a challenge for Yuki. In several experiments, the students investigated why salt melts ice, how much of it dissolves in water, and whether it really “disappears”. They also examined the typical cubic shape of table salt crystals and even grew their own. Through this, they discovered just how diverse crystal structures can be and how important they are in chemistry, technology and everyday life. A special highlight concluded the day: the group prepared raspberry ice cream using liquid nitrogen—a spectacular and delicious finale to an educational visit.