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The Science Resource Center provides support to science teachers and students throughout the district and at all grade levels with:
- Special demonstrations to nurture curiosity and stimulate interest and motivation. The SRC provides training to the volunteers who facilitate the activities.
- Hands on lab activities to develop problem-solving skills.
Volunteers help prepare these labs for the teachers to check out.
- Lab Kit Prep - Cut, count, and bag materials for lab kits used in science classrooms.
- Gardening - Our many gardens are constantly in need of weeding and pruning.
- Special events (chick eggs, butterfly metamorphosis, ant farms, planetarium, Gulf Mysteries exhibit, EcoAdventure exhibit, Nature Trails, Simple Machines)
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- Big Events (These dates may change due to a variety of circumstances. Please call the
school to confirm.)
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Volunteer Opportunities
Some projects can be taken home, others must be done at SRC
Animal Lab – cleaning animal cages and feeding
Fossil Making – making "fossils" for second grade students
Big Events
All of the Special Events occur for every school, so a volunteer contact is a must for the SRC.
1 st Grade Chick eggs – Delivery about October 12 th. The SRC will contact each school to send a volunteer to pick up the eggs to be delivered.
2 nd Grade Butterflies – Delivery about March 28 th. The SRC will contact each school to send a volunteer to pick up the caterpillars to be delivered. There may be some preparation work to be done before delivery can take place. Also available will be a short discussion on the life of the butterfly that the volunteer may do in the classroom.
3 rd Grade Nature Trails –Simple Machines - Every 3 rd grader visits the nature trails to learn about simple machines and participate in environmental activities. The students are divided into 2 groups; each group will have hands on activities with inclined planes, levers, pulleys and wheel and axle, and then also learn to use the compass and to navigate through 6 stations. Volunteers are needed to help facilitate many of the activities.
5 th Grade Nature Trails – Every 5 th grader visits the nature trails to participate in a variety of environmental activities. Volunteers lead the students through various activities: “How Many Bears Can Live in the Forest ;” Nature Scavenger Hunt; Migration Game; and Bird-a-thon (led by a teacher)
Special Events
These events are to be booked with the SRC by each school’s Assistant Principal. Once the dates are booked, the VIPS Coordinator may then take over and coordinate the volunteers for the activity.
Animal Odyssey - Each school may schedule a volunteer led 120-minute field trip for kindergarten students. The students visit stations to learn characteristics of fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals and will see live examples of each. Volunteers are trained to present the information at the station of their choice.
Gulf Mysteries – A field trip for the 1 st graders run by trained volunteers in which students explore the Gulf of Mexico and learn about its inhabitants. Plants and animals living in this ocean environment have many interesting adaptations that allow their needs to be met. Students will also identify various ways living organisms depend upon each other and the environment.
EcoAdventure - A field trip for the 2 nd graders run by trained volunteers to teach the students about different habitats and the plants and animals found in each one. The students will make a variety of plant and animal models to take home with them and will even act in a play about life in a salt marsh!
Demo Training
Volunteers are needed to learn the different demos offered by the SRC. A demo is a presentation centered on a particular animal or scientific concept. The volunteer is trained in content and any specific handling skills needed for the animals. Demos are scheduled at all levels of instruction and can be targeted, if possible, to schools of preference for volunteers. Demos generally last one class period (40 – 50 minutes) and are presented to no more than 50 students at a time. Multiple demos may be needed in one day in order to accommodate all students in a grade level.
If you are interested in being a demo volunteer, check out our calendar for the next training class that interests you. The following lists current demos. If you are a volunteer with a particular area of expertise and have an idea for a new demo, contact either Sherri Moravec (281) 897-4006 or Denise Martin (281) 897- 4695. We are always looking for new ideas for our students and teachers!
Guinea Pigs Don't Read: K
Hedgehog: K
Chinchilla : 1st
Body Coverings: 1st
Insects: 2nd
Reptiles: 2nd
Snakes: 3rd
Amphibians: 3rd
Arthropods: 4th
Aquatic Bird Study Skins: 4th
Bird Study Skins: 5th
Mammal Skulls: 5 th
Biomes: 7th |
