Physics Tour Inspires Fourth-Grade Students
Students Get Exposure to Science Through Demonstrations and Lab Tours

Sixty-eight fourth-grade students from Alvin Independent School District’s Mary Marek Elementary spent a half-day at the University of Houston getting exposure to science through demonstrations and physics lab tours. Four science teachers and nine chaperones accompanied the students on December 14.

Organized by Dr. Margaret Cheung from the Department of Physics, the students saw science demonstrations on force and motion by Cheung and on superconducting materials by Dr. James Meen of the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH (TcSUH). They also watched a 3-D visualization presentation at the Texas Learning and Computation Center (TLC²). Visits to the labs of Drs. Cheung, Rebecca Forrest and Donna Stokes exposed the students to several research projects on protein folding, solar energy and semiconducting materials. 

Physics graduate students participated in the programs and tours, and members of the Society of Physics Students prepared ice cream made from cream and liquid nitrogen. It was the perfect way to wrap up the young students’ trip to UH. 

The outreach event was sponsored by the Department of Physics, TcSUH, TLC², the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Science Teaching Equity Program, College of Education.

- Kathy Major, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics