San Jacinto College student Bobby Mullikin conducts a buoyancy experiment with Kolter Elementary School students Bethany Berhanu (left) and Brianna Kelley during Science Week activities.

“Our students had a wonderful time and they want to come back again,” commented Shelly Gardner, a fourth-grade teacher at Kolter. “They learned a lot because fourth grade is studying matter, density and volume for science this year.”

The experiments that the San Jac students conducted with the fourth-graders were helpful to the young students because they were able to participate and interact with the college students. For many of the fourth-graders, it was a first encounter with college and it proved to be a positive learning experience.

“They felt as if they were college students for a day,” Gardner remarked. “Most of them have never been in a college class before and were excited to see what it was like. The children learned from the field trip and it will be a most memorable one. My students said that it was the best field trip ever.”

San Jacinto College students led dozens of science experiments, including: a “shrinky-dink” demonstration, which showed how polystyrene shrinks in a symmetrical fashion; a slime demonstration, in which water, guar gum and borax are combined to show how chemicals can quickly react and the material changes in structure and in texture; and a “volcano” demonstration, in which effervescent tablets cause caps of film canisters to pop off to demonstrate chemical reactions.

San Jacinto College student Marisa Gandara, who lives in Deer Park, said such interactive learning experiences enhance traditional, inside-the-classroom education.
 “It really shows you how what you’re learning in the classroom can be used in everyday life,” she said.

Gandara operated a “butterfly” experiment station, which demonstrated how some inks spread with water. She presented each student a coffee filter to draw on and then sprayed each filter with water. She then explained that the ink spreads because it is attracted to the water and filter paper and the two compete, thus, different colors in the ink move through the paper at different rates.

“I really liked how we were able to interact with the kids, just to feel like you were actually teaching them something,” she commented. “Even if that something seemed so small to us, it’s amazing to them.” Gandara speaks highly of San Jacinto College’s science program, and of Dr. Ann Cartwright, science department chair at the Central Campus. Dr. Cartwright coordinated the field trip as part of National Chemistry Week. San Jacinto College’s Chemistry Week activities are supported by a grant from the Greater Houston Section of the American Chemical Society.

For more information about San Jacinto College’s science programs, please visit http://www.sanjac.edu/, or call 281-998-6150.