On a rainy fall day, the 4th Grade classes from Mountain View Elementary School in Wilkes County travelled to AppState for a campus tour and a special visit to the Geology department. The visit was coordinated by Tracey Tardiff from the NCCACHE office, Laura Mallard from the Geology Department and Marta Toran from the Secondary Science Ed Program.
The 100 students and their chaperones along with various dedicated faculty members and student volunteers braved the rain to explore the Rock Garden Outdoor Lab and also looked at the various Earth Science exhibits inside Rankin Hall. Dr. Bill Anderson, Mr. Brian Zimmer and Ms. Sonia Sanchez led the visit around the Outdoor Geology Lab and the exhibits around the Rock Wall. Undergraduate Geology students Christine Counts, Cameron Batchelor and Travis Hartney led visitors through the McKinney Geology Teaching Museum.
The young students were inquisitive and excited about learning from experts in the field. Several wanted to make sure we took down their names so that we would remember them when they came back to study at AppState. A big thank you to their teachers: Ms. Ashley Walker, Ms. Taylor Jolly, Ms. Stacy Vick and Mr. Dennis Scheuermann and the parent chaperones for making the trip possible for the students.
Campus visits are a source of inspiration for school-aged students and gets them thinking about the possibilities that come with attending college. Talking to researchers and their students also motivates them to work harder in their own science class. Thank you to all scientists and students on campus who participate in K-12 outreach activities.
Check out more pictures below and the full set in this album. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Marta Toran (toranml@appstate.edu).
