The Science and Math Elementary
Exploration (SMEE) is the new name for the Elementary Science Olympiad. It will
be held in the Arts and Science Building and the Gannon Building on LCC’s main campus on November
8,
2008, from 8:30 am to noon.
SMEE is open to all elementary
age children in the tri-county area: Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham.
SMEE is a day for the children of LCC’s community to
come to the campus and enjoy a day of hands-on science and math activities. All
events are non-competitive with the emphasis on learning. All of our events
offer hands-on experience for the kids, with activities ranging from eye dissection to making and learning
about spirals. We had faculty and students (elementary education majors)
running these events.
SMEE is very rewarding, fun and exciting for students,
parents, and teachers. Students chose from many activities, focusing on
math and all science disciplines. Parents could serve as chaperones, and help
children explore fully the science and math ideas presented. Teachers have used
this event as a means of involving parents in their children’s education. Many
teachers use some of the events as classroom activities to support their science
curriculum or as individual science projects. Many of the teachers that attended
learned new ways to teach hands-on science. Everyone who attends SMEE goes home
with new found information and hopefully a love of science and math.
Students decide which events they would
like to do. As we have so many, they cannot attend all of the events. We offer
chemistry and biology demonstrations that run three times during the day that
take 15 minutes, and a planetarium show that is offered four times that takes 40
minutes. So, as you see there are many things to be learned.