Southwestern College elementary education majors hosted 25 home-schooled students, who are associated with the Maize Virtual School, for science investigations on Tuesday, April 25. Karen Podschun, Winfield, is an education specialist for the virtual school program and accompanied the students.

Four SC elementary education majors planned science investigations for the students then hosted the children through a series of rotations so each child was able to participate in each activity. 

•    Emily Jones, Broken Arrow, Okla., had children ‘mix it up’ by seeing how baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring interact. 
•    Tayvia Kemp, El Dorado, had students investigate how sounds are made using a variety of kitchen items and by humming to rice on plastic wrap stretched over various sized bowls.
•     Karrie McNutt, Winfield, let students make their own rain in a cup with shaving cream representing clouds and food coloring drops into and through the clouds. 
•    Mariah Patillo, Montrose, Colo., helped students understand how pollution in streams, lakes, and rivers is harmful to fish. 

Sheryl Erickson, the course instructor, invited the children to look closely at a variety of seeds, first with just their eyes, and then with magnifying glasses. 

“The science rotations event was a great way to help the children consider how science is around us every day, and for the Southwestern future teachers to plan and implement meaningful learning science opportunities for children,” Erickson says.