CHARLESTON, S.C. — March 6, 2017: The South Carolina Aquarium provided a hands-on educational program, dubbed Aquarium Rovers, to four middle school classes at Johnakin Middle School on Monday, March 6, thanks to a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation. This grant will support Rovers programming for all seventh graders in Lee and Marion counties before the end of the current school year. The Rovers Program brings valuable science education opportunities to learning environments throughout South Carolina where students may not otherwise be able to experience the Aquarium. When a school encounters travel restrictions, Rovers can bring the Aquarium to their facility, creating an immersive science program right in the classroom.
The middle school Rovers curriculum focuses on the South Carolina watersheds and the animals that populate them. Students at Johnakin Middle School were able to participate in an activity lab using scientific methods to conduct water quality testing and analyze evidence from real environmental case studies to uncover what might be polluting our watersheds. During the program, students also meet several live animals including a juvenile American alligator, a diamondback terrapin and non-venomous snakes.
“Rovers reaches young people in learning environments where they feel safe,” said Beth Demas, Distance Education Programs Coordinator for The South Carolina Aquarium. “The students are excited to have the animals visit them, and it’s rewarding to see a student transition from being afraid to reaching out and touching an animal.”
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