Fifty-five Quinton seventh and eighth grade GEAR UP students recently visited Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. 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.
Quinton students experienced the Explosion Live show which gave them an opportunity to experience live explosions. The host explained safety rules and how explosions work. Quinton students experienced different explosion experiments and were able to learn a little more about chemistry. GEAR UP students reported this being one of their favorite parts of the field trip.
GEAR UP students learned about varies exhibits throughout the museum including Into the Fold: The Art and Science of Origami, named as a “must see museum exhibit” by USA Today; CurioCity, a 20,000-square-foot city with eight whimsical neighborhoods children are exposed to science through a number of interactive activities that encourage learning through play; Light Minded, where students can experience the shocking beauty of the plasma tube, freeze time with the Shadow Stopper, marvel at the power of the Tesla Coil, see how strobe lights play on piano strings, snap your shadow in three colors, see your body’s heat patterns in living color with an infrared camera, and much more; and the Science Floor exhibits, the heart of the museum with hundreds of activities to teach, entertain and astound guests. The Science Floor is all things science with a Segway Park, Resonant Pendulum where the students effortlessly move a 400-pound weight, and much more.
“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.
