10/19/23

By University Communications

HAYS, Kan. - The basement of Trinity Lutheran Church reverberated with kids’ chatter and shrieks during the first after-school science program organized by FHSU elementary pre-service teachers. As part of their science teaching methods course, sixteen FHSU students designed hands-on activities and investigations for elementary students from second to fifth grade. The program is slated to continue once a week for six weeks.

Dr. Matthew Clay, assistant professor of teacher education, said the activities had all been designed to incorporate science examples that can be seen either at home or in the community. Some activities included creating a lava lamp, a rain cloud in a jar, and building a paper bridge.

“I’m very grateful for the students’ willingness to do all the prep work required for this program,” Clay said. “They were all immediately on board with this.”

The first encounter with elementary school students was positive for Kennedy Beilman, a junior elementary education major from Meriden.

“I was surprised how calm the students were even in an environment with a lot going on,” Beilman said. “I chose a straw-building activity, and the students were engaged and interested in the content.”

Emily Ritchey, a senior elementary education major from St. George, said she looks forward to the adventure of working with the elementary students as the program moves forward.

“We are excited to see how the next few weeks play out. We have so many fun activities planned, and the students participating seem super enthusiastic,” she said. “I am so thankful for this opportunity Dr. Clay has presented us with. It can be very hard to observe science lessons in the classroom sometimes, and this opportunity allows us to be 100 percent hands-on. It’s an experience that we will never forget.”