Science Outreach at Fayetteville Schools

Fayetteville schools reached out to the biology students at the University of Arkansas to show real-world science to elementary and middle school students. So, Dr. Diego Paredes-Burneo, MSc. Jenna Miladin, and I visited John L. Colbert Middle School to talk about our research, fieldwork, and plants in general for 6th-grade students. The main focus of the activity was to show them that plants are made of cells and have a vascular system, just like animals! For this, we used waterweed to show them chloroplasts and cell walls under the microscope, two key differences between plant and animal cells. We also used celery placed in water with food dye to show them the differences between xylem and phloem. With this activity, students were able to see how water moves up the stem, coloring the vessels and leaves, and also observe cross-sections of the celery stem under the microscope to see how xylem and phloem cells differ.

We also visited Holcomb Elementary School during STEAM Night to discuss the importance of herbaria, why plants are cool, the importance of collections for conservation, and to show how we botanists work in the field. We organized a hands-on activity where they could press their own plants and take them home. Remington Motte also joined us to talk about plant fossils!

Talking with the next generation of scientists and showing them just how cool plants can be was such a fun experience!