Science in a bag

Science in a bag

Written by Mark Collins Monday, 07 January 2008

A typical first grader’s backpack may include a few library books, things to bring home to put on the fridge, notebooks, a few pencils and maybe even some warm gummy bears.

At Deer Creek Elementary in Leander, however, first graders are being sent home with backpacks full of science equipment and experiments to be completed with parents as part of a three-pronged effort spearheaded by the Education Enrichment Program, a volunteer parent organization.

“Our focus is on improving test scores,” said EEP member Kelly Cottrell. “We happened to have a lot of science-minded people in the group, so that’s why our focus has been on science.”

The organization’s first action was to take care of Deer Creek’s science lab. EEP members reorganized all of the equipment and supplies in the lab and set up an inventory sheet that allows teachers to easily request more supplies.

Next, EEP launched the backpack program. Members of EEP met with teachers to coordinate materials with the existing science curriculum.

“We wanted to work with the teachers on this and make it easy for them to implement,” said EEP member Christine Ackerson. “We didn’t want this to be one more thing teachers were expected to do.”

Each first grade classroom at Deer Creek has four different backpacks. Each is filled with a different area of study: insects, matter, plants and rocks.

Backpacks started going home with students in November and were received with much excitement from students and teachers, EEP members said.

EEP’s latest addition was science share night, an evening of hands-on science activities, displays and presentations capped off with a school-wide experiment.

Last year’s theme was earth science, which included a visit from a NASA ambassador and concluded with the formation of a rain cloud, which drenched assistant principal Glenn Shanks.

This year, science share night will focus on energy and conservation. The evening will include 20 hands-on activities and a mystery finale involving Shanks. EEP will also sell reusable grocery bags.

The group has no funding. EEP relies on donations and fundraising. When the backpack program began, H-E-B donated 100 backpacks and at this year’s science share night.

“This shows what is possible when teachers and parents work together,” Cottrell said.

The projects in the packs

Each backpack contains hands-on activities and experiments, books, worksheets, journal and supplies (crayons, experiment supplies, etc). Four students take a backpack home each week to complete experiments and activities.

• States of matter backpack — Students study the properties of the three states of matter and get hands-on by creating quicksand using cornstarch and water.
• Insect backpack — The students learn the anatomy of insects and spiders before going on a bug hunt to study their bug and its habitat.
• Plant backpack — Students learn about the life cycle of a plant and the difference between fruits and vegetables. Before the week is over, students grow a bean sprout in soil and non-soil medium to compare results.
• Rock backpack — Students study the building blocks of rocks and learn about what makes up the earth. They also perform mineral analysis and go on a rock hunt to collect specimens.