MSU Science Fair educate elementary students about wood
MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi State University’s College of Forest Resources’ Department is inspiring young minds this week.
The annual Wood Magic Science Fair provides 3rd and 4th-grade students with hands-on education about one of the state’s largest economic drivers, the forest products industry.
The Wood Magic Science Fair is providing young students with an interactive learning experience about the impact of wood and its everyday applications.
“It’s very rewarding because we get a lot of feedback from teachers that it is a very organized event, and the kids get a lot out of it,” a former MSU professor said. “A lot of times, we get a lot of letters from the students that have gone through about what their favorite event was and what they saw at Wood Magic.”
The Department of Sustainable Bioproducts hosted the science fair to educate 3rd and 4th-grade students from all over north Mississippi.
Hands-on activities, such as creating plywood and paper, give them a deeper understanding of the forest products industry.
Teachers said this is a fun and engaging way for their students to learn about products that are part of their daily lives..
“I absolutely love using hands-on materials and manipulatives in my class, so actually getting that hands-on experience and getting to see things and see how it is done instead of just talking about and watching it on videos, I feel like it is so much more beneficial than just reading about and learning about it in school,” Laura McBrayer, 3rd-grade teacher for Southside Elementary said.
“They are really focused on the presenters; they are raising their hands and answering questions that they had,” Hailey Henderson, 3rd-grade teacher for Southside Elementary, said. I really could tell that they are enjoying it, and just being able to tell some of the stuff they are learning in school can be incorporated into what is going out here today, and I really think this is a great event for them.”
The fair has been offered for elementary students on the MSU campus since 1993.
Dan Seale has been a part of it since it started.
He said he is always excited when it’s time to educate and inspire youth in the surrounding area.
“It’s just grown and we’ve had turnover in employees and students but, now we have students that are out in the workforce and some of them have moved up in management and, they are supporting the fair themselves through their companies,” Seale said.
The Wood Magic Science Fair has welcomed more than 150,000 participants since it has started.
“It is a wonderful experience like I have been teaching here in the last two years,” Muhammad Hamza said. “Every time it is a great experience. I met some kids and they told me that you guys really made my day so sometimes it is emotional that the kids coming from different backgrounds or different regions that they are getting exposed at this level.”
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