Howe 7th and 8th grade GEAR UP students recently visited Science Museum Oklahoma. The two-story museum consists of a wide-array of hands-on activities that allows students to have fun in an engaging way. Students roamed, ran, and played while learning about various science principles.
The museum, as well as the name, has evolved since its creation in 1958. The mission of Science Museum Oklahoma (formerly known as the Omniplex Science Museum) is to enrich people’s lives by revealing the wonder and relevance of science. Science Museum Oklahoma is enjoyed by children and students of all ages.
The students experienced the Explosion Live show which gave the students an opportunity to experience live explosions. The host explained safety rules and how explosions work. Howe students experienced different explosion experiments and were able to learn more about chemistry. GEAR UP students reported this was one of their favorite parts of the field trip.
Howe students learned about various exhibits throughout the museum including space artifacts, how the weather works in the Eye in the Sky exhibit, Segway exhibit, CurioCity, and Energy Quest. Students interacted with each exhibit and explored at their own pace.
“Educational tours are an important part of Eastern’s GEAR UP program,” said GEAR UP Education Coordinator Tara Martin.
The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP. Participating schools take two field trips each academic year—one to tour a college or university and one that is cultural/educational in nature. Eastern recently received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant and will serve over 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.
