Young scientists discover U.

Faced with three glasses of beef broth, eight-year-old Ashley Johnson poured vinegar into one glass, put salt into another, and left the third as a control. In two days she will find out which glass has accumulated more bacteria and discover whether vinegar or salt is a better preservative. Discovery at Penn is a series of workshops and lectures which began this week for students in grades two through ten. The program offers such varied topics as science, creative writing, math, logic, theater, art and radio. Susan Duggan, who has been the director of the Discovery at Penn programs since 1985, said that the Discovery programs are geared for bright students, though there is no criteria for acceptance other than teacher recommendations. "Gifted education in schools is gently being phased out," said Duggan, citing recent budget cuts limiting the number of gifted programs. "Parents are looking more for outside things for their kids to do. We serve that need." Duggan compared the Discovery programs to a summer camp atmosphere in which some students are in different programs for as many as five weeks. Four college age assistants supervise younger children in the classroom and also escort them between morning and afternoon classes. Other Discovery programs beginning this week include Wonders of Math Magic, Improvisation, Introduction to the Short Story, Logic, and Carousel Theater. Introduction to the Short Story is part of a creative writing series in which professors, poets, film writers and playwrights instruct students in grades seven through ten in writing. Three one week sessions of short story writing, the most popular of the writing classes, are held throughout the summer. In the coming weeks Kathy O'Connell from WXPN's Kid's Corner will be teaching a class to third through fifth graders on creating and producing their own radio program. Another celebrity instructor is Mike Weilbacher, who is Mr. Science on Kid's Corner. One of the newest Discovery programs, Duggan said, is Penn Young Writers, an intensive writing program held four days per week for six hours a day. Duggan described the workshop as an experiment for serious young writers. Run by program leaders Greg Frost and Matthew Resnick, the program features visiting writers including associate English professor Judy Moffett. Duggan said that students in the program usually live locally, but that some parents commute over ninety minutes to drive their children to the classes.

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