Published: January 30, 2007 10:39 am         

Playing with viruses

• Richmond students get science lesson courtesy of Museum Without Walls

The minds of 20 students in Diane Fix’s fifth grade class at Richmond Elementary were filled Monday with everything there is to know about plant viruses during a presentation from the Stillwater Children’s Museum’s “Museum Without Walls” Program.

From learning how small viruses are to making their own three-dimensional viruses, students were entranced by the program that visits every Stillwater elementary school with its two one-hour programs, Fix said.

“It’s been wonderful,” she said. “We’re getting ready to do a lesson on ecosystems, so it works with what we are already doing, and the students just love it.”

With the program, students learn the history of virus discovery, find out how plant viruses spread and replicate within a host and learn the anatomy and structure of viruses, among many other things.

Executive Director Ruth Cavins said the program’s hands-on activities helps the information sink in for the students.

“This program helps us bring a museum to individuals who can’t get to a museum,” she said. “And with the program, they don’t even realize how much they are learning.”

Matthew Millis, 10, asked many questions during the lesson and said he enjoys learning about science through the Museum Without Walls.

“It’s really fun,” he said as he and classmate Nathan Morgan built viruses out of blocks. “I like the games and hands-on activities.”

Fellow student Jeremy Varnum, 11, said science is his favorite subject because he learns about tiny objects, adding his family also is involved in helping him learn more about science at home.

The effort for the Stillwater Children’s Museum started nearly six years ago, and the organization is now in the process of finding a location for its facility.

In the meantime, founder Kandi Speer said the organization wants to take the museum to children through the program, which was funded mostly through the Oklahoma Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

Oklahoma EPSCOR Associate Director Jim Wicksted said the program is wonderful for students.

“Any time we can make science fun for students, especially kids this age, it’s great,” Wicksted said.

For information on the program, visit www.stillwaterchildrensmuseum.org

     

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