SALLY RIDE FESTIVAL
The Houston Geological Society participates in several K-12 outreach programs every fall. This year’s Sally Ride Science Festival was held on Saturday, October 25,2014, at Rice University for middle-school girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The event was attended by nearly a 1000 students with hundreds stopping by the HGS booth during the Fair. From the start of the event to the end, our HGS volunteers - Alana Goycochea, Allison de Wynter, Aubrey Waddail, Cynthia Palomares, Jim Tucker, Kevo Bocco, Nick Longo, and Scott Wallace - were all busy answering questions about petroleum exploration and environmental geology. Many of the students enjoyed the experience of observing rock samples using a magnifier and making geological observations. Attending teachers were given Texas Rock Kits, page size geologic maps of Texas and water cycle charts while all were given samples of rock salt.
Requests from students for the Texas Rock Kits assembled by the Bureau of Economic Geology and sponsored by the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists Texas Section (AEG), continued through-out the fair. After most of the visiting teachers received theirs, volunteers began handing them out to students who specifically asked for the Kits. A total of 100 Texas Rock Kits were distributed.
Also very popular were samples of rock salt provided by the United Salt Corporation from the Hockley Salt Mine. The kids were given samples and asked to guess what they were. When they found out they were holding rock salt that came from a mine near Houston – what a surprise. Then students were told each time they put salt on their eggs, they were eating rocks; many said they’d stop eating eggs!
Requests were made for an online resource (s) for teachers to reference when encouraging students to take an interest in earth science; and several inquiries were regarding speakers for classroom visits. Both of these are for future consideration…
The saying “pictures are worth a thousand words” is true in this case – look at the interest and excitement of the students and the volunteers.
Jim Tucker and students with geologic maps and bag of salt rock.
Scott Wallace and Alana Goycochea with the rest of the street fair behind them.
Kevo Bocco explains where the salt came from.
Nick Longo and Aubrey Waddail – what’s next?
Allison de Wynter with students at the HGS display posters.
Cynthia Palomares with a rock sample.
