Twenty-seven LeFlore freshman and sophomore Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP students recently participated in Mid-America Science Museum’s outreach workshop. Located in Hot Springs, Ark., Mid-America Science Museum’s mission is to stimulate interest in science, promote public understanding of the sciences, and encourage life-long science education through interactive exhibits and programs.
Mid-America Educator Madeline McClain traveled to LeFlore Public School to host a cow eye dissection workshop. McClain discussed how the comprehensive, hands-on-experience of a cow eye dissection will guide them through the inner workings of the mammalian eye and how vision interacts with the nervous system. McClain had students examine the outside of the eye. By examining a cow’s eye, students learned and identified the internal and external parts of the eye and the structures that surround it, including the pupil, cornea, optic nerve, lens and iris. After identifying the structures of the eye, students experimented with how each part functions. LeFlore students learned that through dissection and examination the cow’s eye is a close parallel to the human eye although it has some slight differences.
The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College’s GEAR UP program. Eastern received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant in 2017, and will serve more than 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.
GEAR UP Students Travel to Hawaii for Global Leadership Summit
Ten GEAR UP graduates participated in an 8-night, 9-day Global Leadership Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii. Students encountered a wide range of experiences, from learning about