SALISBURY — 4-H School Enrichment Programs provide the opportunity for 4-H and local schools (public, private and homeschool) to team up to offer classroom enrichment programs. The Rowan County 4-H Extension Agent provides educational materials, resources and training to teachers for use in the classroom.
All programs are correlated to North Carolina’s essential standards. Programs available include embryology, bug out, soil solutions, magic of electricity, aerospace, energy transformation and power of the wind.
Youth will explore the science of embryology from egg to chicken. This curriculum is designed to correlate with the second grade essential standards. Classrooms are provided with an incubator, turner, fertile eggs, chick life cycle set and resource materials. Rowan County 4-H offers four sessions per year. The schedule is released around early September each year. Spaces are available on a first-come, first serve basis.
Bug out is a series of insect-based activities that emphasize experiential, hands-on learning. The goal of bug out is to increase understanding and appreciation of insects and to reduce fear of insects. This curriculum is designed to correlate with the second-grade essential standards. During this program, classrooms experience the life cycle of the meal worm.
Through the soil solutions program, youth explore the interdependence of plants and soils. With this curriculum, students will gain an understanding of nutrients, pollination and soil types. This program is correlated with the third-grade essential standards.
The magic of electricity curriculum will help fourth-grade students to explore magnetism, circuits, conductors and the flow of electricity.
Through the aerospace program, youth are able to fly kites, participate in airplane contests, launch rockets, explore space, make a glider, construct a straw rocket and experience disorientation. It is developmentally appropriate for third through fifth grades.
The energy transformation curriculum demonstrates the effects of energy use through hands-on activities. Through the lessons, youth will construct a model home to help them understand air flow, heat transfer and energy efficiency as the curriculum progresses. This program is correlated with the sixth-grade essential standards.
Youth learn about the wind and how this energy is used to do useful work and produce electricity through the power of the wind curriculum. This program is correlated with the seventh-grade essential standards.
For more information concerning 4-H school enrichment opportunities, contact Sara Drake, 4-H Extension agent, at sara_drake@ncsu.edu or at 704-216-8970 or visit http://www.nc4h.org/educators/. 4-H is the youth development program of Cooperative Extension. For more information about 4-H or N.C. Cooperative Extension, call the Rowan Extension Office at 704-216-8970 or visit http://rowan.ces.ncsu.edu.