Martin Elementary students visit Ag Department farm lab
Martin Elementary School fifth-graders listen to instructions on how to combine corn and vegetable oil to create plastics Monday at the West Virginia Farm Bureau’s Mobile Agriculture Science Lab. (Photo by Michael Erb)
Martin Elementary School fifth-graders Colby French, left, and Dakota Huff, right, look over instructions during a project Monday at the West Virginia Farm Bureau’s Mobile Agriculture Science Lab. (Photo by Michael Erb)
Martin Elementary School fifth-graders listen to instructions on how to combine corn and vegetable oil to create plastics Monday at the West Virginia Farm Bureau’s Mobile Agriculture Science Lab. (Photo by Michael Erb)
Martin Elementary School fifth-graders Colby French, left, and Dakota Huff, right, look over instructions during a project Monday at the West Virginia Farm Bureau’s Mobile Agriculture Science Lab. (Photo by Michael Erb)
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PARKERSBURG -- Students at Martin Elementary School received hands-on lessons Monday in science and renewable resources while visiting the Mobile Agriculture Science Lab.
The program through the West Virginia Farm Bureau brings the mobile Ag Lab to schools throughout the state, providing self-contained lessons for students of all elementary grade levels.
"This covers everyone's grade-level standards," said teacher Sherry Morris.
Monday's project was using corn and vegetable oil to produce plastic and how scientists are developing ways to use renewable resources. Another planned project will be turning soybeans into crayons, Morris said.
"The students seem to be loving it," Morris said. "They're really excited."
In addition to the science projects, the students also learn about healthy eating and making healthy lifestyle choices.
The lab will be stationed at Martin Elementary throughout the week to give every class in grades kindergarten through fifth two opportunities to visit. The lab also held an open house Monday evening at Martin Elementary.
Next week the lab will visit Madison Elementary School.
Officials said demand for the Ag Lab is so great it has already been booked for the next two years.
"There is such a waitlist for this; it took us two years to get it here," Morris said. "It's already booked for the next two years."
Morris said the cost of the mobile lab was paid through the school's business partner, West Virginia University at Parkersburg, and through the Martin PTA.