HARTSVILLE — More than 300 rising eighth-, ninth- and 10th-grade students from the Pee Dee and across the state are spending part of their summer challenging themselves in courses from examining a crime scene to building a robot during the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics 19th Annual Summer Science Program.
During the summer camp, which began June 15 and ends July 12, students live on campus and can take a week-long course in such areas as crime scene investigations, robotics, and infection and immunity. At least 20 courses are offered in the program.
Students are taught by professors from at least eight colleges and universities, including Florence-Darlington Technical College and the University of South Carolina, as well as faculty from the school.
Through hands-on lab experiments and field trips, the program is designed to give students the chance to develop knowledge of science, math and technology.
Tanzania Scarborough, 14, of Lamar and Marisha Letki, 15, of Florence participated in the CSI course.
Tanzania, a student at Lamar High School, and Marisha, a student at Wilson High School, both said they enjoyed science and wanted to see what it was like in a real forensics lab after watching the television show “CSI.”
“I found it very interesting to see how things work and how you can figure things out (through the experiments),” Marisha said.
Tanzania said she enjoyed the hands-on activities and figuring out ways to solve a crime through evidence collected at a mock crime scene.
Students in the course had to solve the murder of member of a sorority who was killed while still in bed.
Dr. Sid Parrish, assistant professor of chemistry at Newberry College, said the course was an introduction to the field of forensic science that specifically dealt with the terminology, techniques and procedures used in collecting and analyzing evidence for real cases.
Through the course, students are exposed to real-life science skills and techniques used in a real forensics lab, Parrish said.
Niru Mahes, a student at Duke University, is an assistant teacher for the program’s robotics course. The students built and programed robots using the LEGO Mindstorms NXT kit in the FIRST LEGO League Robotics course.
Mahes, along with Jon Shannon, chief information officer at the Governor’s School and the course’s instructor, taught rising eighth-grade students how to solve real-world problems by applying math, science and technology skills through robotics applications.
Students had to write programs for the robot to perform a task. The students will be able to take home the kits after the course. Mahes said the course teaches students basic problem-solving skills through fun activities and games.
Students in the infection and immunity course, taught by Dr. Karen Aguirre, assistant professor of biology at Coastal Carolina University, learned about viruses bacteria and parasites, and how the immune system fights infection.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement