October Flashback - Limerick Elementary Students Learn Agriculture

with contributions made by Jess Lester, representing the Spring-Ford Area School District.

LIMERICK - students got the opportunity to experiment with popcorn, test snack foods for fat content, create plastic from corn and take part in a number of other unique hands-on activities when the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's Mobile Agricultural Education Science Lab came to visit the week of Oct. 10-14.

The lab was on site at the school for the entire school day the whole week, with different grade levels visiting during different times of the day and week. Once stationed at the school, students entered the lab to perform science experiments that teach lessons focused on farm, food, fiber and the environment. Mobile Lab visits to schools are coordinated with the preparation of teachers and their classes for the science experiments. A certified teacher - in this case, Deb Ellis, who said her first choice is always Spring-Ford - travels with the lab to lead each class in the science experiments.

The lab is equipped with all the materials and supplies needed for the experiments and creates an opportunity for students to learn about agriculture (Pennsylvania's number one industry) in a fun and hands-on way. According to Ellis, the lab packs in 30 lessons/experiments for kids to potentially participate in.

Examples of the experiments that were taught in the lab that week include: "Corn to Plastic," which involves teaching students the differences between plastics made from petroleum and plastics made from corn; "Snack Attack," where students test snack foods for fat content and read nutritional labels for information; "Tops and Bottoms," where students listen to a story and learn about plants whose "tops" and "bottoms" provide food; and "Popcorn Capers," where students will test popcorn kernels and popped popcorn to see if they sink or float in water. A Mobile Lab can educate up to 900 students and involve up to 30 teachers per week.

"With fewer children having a tie to farming, we created the Ag Lab to help teachers educate more students about the importance of agriculture," said PFB President Carl T. Shaffer.

This was the third time the lab came to Spring-Ford. According to Ellis, the kids remember every lesson they’ve done over the years.

"It really makes an impact," she said. "The lab was started seven years ago with one teacher and one lab. It’s grown to six and now have 24 teachers. It's very popular."

The excitement of the kids really resonates throughout the program, as well.

"I got here early this morning and the kids were coming off the buses and being dropped off," Ellis continued. "You could just hear the excitement. It’s really interesting, because a couple of kids asked if we would be here next week, too. They’re so enthusiastic.

"I rarely have behavior problems here or in other schools. The kids want to be there. It’s great for kids that really need that. I taught in Coatesville. We had gone away from the science programs and had focused on math and reading. For some kids, that science can really spark their interest and really be developed upon. It really makes you feel good that you had an impact, because these are important things they need to learn. The lab started with the premise that the kids had no idea where their food was coming from."

According to Limerick Elementary's Media Specialist Sue Hess, did the program one time, but she hasn't heard of any of the other schools in the district doing it. The Limerick Elementary Home and School Association pays for the program to come to the school. Parent volunteers from the association even come out to help Ellis. Hess sees this marriage lasting for many years.

"It’s meeting our science standards," she said. "It’s really difficult to meet those standards specific to Pennsylvania for agriculture. So, we have to look outside of our textbooks for that information. It’s so nice to have this program to come in and help us with that."

Limerick Elementary School is located at 81 Limerick Center Road in Limerick.