The students taking part in the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp at Lamar University continued to study science concepts this week by taking part in the United States Department of Agriculture rice demonstration. The demonstration took place Wednesday to show the students the many different things that take place during the production of rice.
During this demonstration, the students learned about the different stages rice goes through, the different textures, and the reasons different types of rice taste and look different. The students were each given a rice plant to take home to plant.
After discussing the rice and how it is produced, each student was given two different types of rice to taste and to describe the differences between the two.
Shannon Pinson, research geneticist at the United States Department of Agriculture at the Texas A&M AgriLIFE Research Center in Beaumont said, “Today we were trying to excite the kids on careers in science and open their eyes that rice can be very exciting and there are many different jobs available working with rice. Also, we realize that not everyone enjoys science but to understand science will be a part of their lives and is exciting no matter what they choose to do.”
“We learned about the different textures of rice, the differences in taste and how you make them”, said eighth-grade student, Jamoni Paskel. “I like the way the sticky rice tasted the best.”
The camp introduces middle-school students to math and science concepts using hands-on, real-world lab activities in a way that is entertaining and can lead to rewarding opportunities in the future.
“I learned there are a lot of different stages that rice has to go through before we eat it,” said eighth grader Quanneshia Swann. “This was helpful to me because I didn’t really know anything about rice before.”
The ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp will conclude Friday, June 20. There will be a graduation ceremony for the campers at 10:30 a.m. in the John Gray Center Auditorium, building A.
For more information on the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps, visit www.theharrisfoundation.org.
