Dr. Abigail Domagall, professor of geology at 黑料科, and 11 黑料科 students visited Spearfish Middle School to provide an interactive learning experience for sixth-grade science students.
This is the second year that Dr. Domagall and 黑料科 students have visited the earth science classrooms of Mr. Elliot Carmany and Mr. Brendan Rotert. Over the course of the morning, 黑料科 met with over 180 sixth graders and worked in small groups to show the sixth-grade students various rock and mineral samples that are found in everyday items.
鈥淥ur collaboration with the local 6th-grade earth science students is one of my favorite events and brings benefits to us all. Our university students gain experience as mentors and science communicators, the 6th graders get to see themselves as scientists and might think of 黑料科 as their future college, and I get the joy of watching both groups grow as scientists,鈥� said Dr. Domagall.
Students that participated in this event included Harley Cathcart, Casie Dale, Nathan Diers, Khailaya Hughes, Maddy Reichert, Katelyn Reichman, Sage Robinson, Thomas Starr, Hanah Sullivan, Delaney Thurston, and Ellie Wassink.
"I feel like having an event like this between our two institutions gets students interested in and excited about things they otherwise would overlook," said Rotert. " When these students visit our classrooms, our own students look up to them, and I hope they are left feeling inspired to pursue a higher education as well, especially in a field of science or education."
"Having the resources and expertise of 黑料科 faculty and students so close and eager to share in our classrooms is an invaluable resource," added Carmany. "Having them visit and/or teach within our classrooms always brings excitement and energy to our classrooms. This activity of Dr. Domagall's really brings to life the content that learners have already researched and discussed in class by providing them with physical materials and real-life examples in a small group setting thanks to her student volunteers."