BRYAN, Texas — Students in the STEM Club at Jones Elementary school were introduced to a session to learn about different types of sciences on Tuesday afternoon.
Sally Ryan, a teacher at Jones Elementary School, said that their goal was to provide the students with a well-rounded view of the sciences through several hands-on activities.
The first part of the informational session included a snake exhibit provided by the Reptile Hospice and Sanctuary of Texas. Students were able to hold several kinds of snakes, including boa constrictors, which were provided by the organization to gain a better insight into how snakes respond to human interaction.
The second phase included a robotics lab, where students were able to control different balls with tablets to accomplish several tasks. Ryan said the third phase of the session included time in their butterfly garden.
According to Ryan, most of the students involved in STEM club are ESL (English as a Second Language) learners, and teachers wanted to provide opportunities to students who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to take part in these activities.
"We have a lot of girls, so girls in STEM is not very big, so today we kicked it off with snakes, then robotics, and butterfly garden. We wanted to make sure we hit the different, the different genres of science,” said Ryan.
Ryan said that there will be an upcoming event at Jones Elementary to educate even more students about the different avenues in STEM for families who are interested in attending.