Kalysha Clark

One of the great things about my AmeriCorps position is that I get to work with kids from all over the Piedmont Triad and show them that science can be fun. When these kids are having fun and playing, they don't even realize that they're learning, just as they would if they were in a classroom.

Hands-on and interactive learning is a great way to get kids outside and that's one of the great things about environmental education. Check out some of my pictures below from activities and programs I've been doing.

Participants at a camp in Burlington learn about macroinvertebrates and water pollution by playing tag.

Each kid was given a different tag that showed a bug. Some bugs were more tolerant to pollution than others. Those that were sensitive to pollution had their movements more limited. This illustrated that more sensitive bugs are more susceptible to pollution because they're more likely to be tagged.

My supervisor talks about why the Yadkin River is low and why it's brown in color. Sediment, which is the biggest pollutant in NC, makes the water brown.

Students in Burlington sample the stream at City Park.

And then they look at what they found.

Kids at a Wildlife Camp in Burlington sample Lake Cammack.

Then they use buckets and pipettes to study what they found.

These kids may not even realize that what they're doing is science. And they're having fun!