ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OUTREACH AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL

St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, hosts the Fiesta of Physics and Earth Science Extravaganza on campus and at local elementary schools to assist educators preparing for district curriculum and the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Test. Several in-classroom demonstrations and surveys were prepared and deployed in various educational programs. The Elementary level is key for being the starting place for Earth Sciences; STAAR testing covers Earth Science concepts, which were not as prevalent in the previous assessment tests. The Earth Science exhibits are low-cost and can be reproduced in any setting. The research blended learning comprehension for grades second through sixth. Surveys indicated which exhibits expressed more stimulus response for individual grade levels. The instructional design chosen for research was based on feedback from on-campus events. Concepts that were presented to the students include; sensory mineral identification, new terminology including retention of current Environmental issues, and problem solving with critical thinking of future plans with energy. The exhibits are portable for schools that cannot travel to the St. Mary’s University campus, because of financial challenges.