Five years ago, Mae Jemison came to Clayton to promote the launch of a partnership between Bayer Healthcare and Johnston County Schools to teach a new hands-on science program in four of the district's elementary schools. She returned Wednesday, when the pharmaceutical company gave Johnston schools the largest of its five yearly grants -- $50,000 -- to expand the program to all 19 Johnston elementary schools.



Five years ago, Mae Jemison came to Clayton to promote the launch of a partnership between Bayer Healthcare and Johnston County Schools to teach a new hands-on science program in four of the district's elementary schools. She returned Wednesday, when the pharmaceutical company gave Johnston schools the largest of its five yearly grants -- $50,000 -- to expand the program to all 19 Johnston elementary schools.

Mae Jemison talks science at West Clayton Elementary School

By MARTI MAGUIRE, Staff Writer

CLAYTON -- Some West Clayton Elementary School students learned a few things about space travel from astronaut Mae Jemison on Wednesday: Lifting weights is a lot easier with no gravity, and watching a frog jump is even funnier.

Jemison, who became the first African-American female astronaut in 1992, gave students a step-by-step walk through a space mission.

But the purpose of her visit was to let students show off what they are learning every day in science class.

Five years ago, Jemison came to Clayton to promote the launch of a partnership between Bayer Healthcare and Johnston County Schools to teach a new hands-on science program in four of the district's elementary schools.

She returned Wednesday, when the pharmaceutical company gave Johnston schools the largest of its five yearly grants -- $50,000 -- to expand the program to all 19 Johnston elementary schools.

The grants pay to train teachers and buy science supplies so students can learn scientific concepts such as chemical reactions by doing classroom experiments.

Bayer Healthcare runs a plant outside Clayton and has sponsored similar programs in six other communities where its plants are located.

Johnston officials said the program has been so successful that they have used district money to expand it.

Hands-on science instruction has been promoted nationally as a way to capture student interest. Focusing on understanding a few key concepts more completely through experiments also hones critical thinking skills, said Johnston lead teacher Vickie Boyette, who helps develop elementary school lessons for the district.

"The concept is, this is better than books," Boyette said. "If students have their hands in what they're doing, they learn a lot more."

For West Clayton fifth-grader Ronae Spencer, the approach has made science her favorite class. "The time I pay the most attention is when we do experiments," Ronae said.

She and her classmates were demonstrating a lesson on land forms Wednesday by pouring water over a pile of sand in a plastic tray. When this happens on the Earth, they said, it creates different land forms, such as mountains and trenches.

"We're trying to see if the water goes down, does it take any land with it?" Ronae explained.

Ronae wanted to be an astronaut when she was younger. Now, at 10, she has decided to be a scientist instead. She was thrilled to meet Jemison.

Jemison has advocated science literacy since she retired from NASA in 1993, both for Bayer's programs and through her own nonprofit company, which runs science camps for older children. She says science literacy isn't just for the next generation of scientists: Everyone needs a "baseline understanding" so they can understand scientific discoveries or vote on important science-based issues.

"The facts may change," Jemison said. "You have to be able to think your way through the day."


Staff writer Marti Maguire can be reached at 829-4841 or mmaguire@newsobserver.com.

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By Anonymous (124-182.207-68.elmore.res.rr.com - 68.207.182.124) on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 2:14 pm: Edit Post

I am one of the students who were able to join in the science experiments. Although this took place almost 4 years ago I still remember that day. It was very inspirational to have Mae Jemiosn to come to our school and teach us the importance of staying in school. I loved hearing of her being an astronaut too. I am now 14 years old and being a young black it was very important for me to see what i saw and it made me think about my future and what i want do with my life.