Just how far can a frog jump? Is it further than a Charleston County School District (CCSD) student? On Tuesday, October 15, 2013, nearly 100 fourth and fifth graders will spend the morning at the College of Charleston finding out and learning more about amphibians. They will be in the School of Sciences and Mathematics Building (corner of Coming and Calhoun Streets) from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

[Related: Watch a video of elementary students visiting in 2012.]

LOI SSMAs part of the College’s Literacy Outreach Initiative (LOI), the students were given copies of The Frog Scientist, a book about renowned biologist Tyrone Hayes, a native of South Carolina. During the months of September and October their classroom teachers have delivered a science curriculum made up of four lessons based on The Frog Scientist.

[Related: Watch Tyrone Hays speak at the College in 2012.]

Their lessons culminate with a visit to the College of Charleston School of Sciences and Mathematics where they watch a video of Hayes that was produced especially for them; perform their own experiments; tour some of the labs; and interact with College faculty, staff, and students. Participating CCSD elementary schools include Memminger, Mitchell Math & Science, and James Simons.

Students from the Honors College, along with members of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society and the Biology Club, will act as leaders and help the elementary students throughout their day on campus.

[Related: Find out more about the Honors College.]

“Our hope is to really bring science to life for these students and to highlight the importance of science in the curriculum,” says Chemistry Professor Wendy Cory. “We hosted a similar event last year and found that studying Dr. Hayes’s work with frogs is a great way for us to get kids excited about science.”

[Related: Wendy Cory awarded $300,000 NSF grant.]

Under the direction of the Honors College, the LOI was conceived in 2010 in a partnership with the Charleston County School District designed to improve literacy in the Charleston community. This activity was supported in part by grants to the College of Charleston from the National Science Foundation (CBET #1233266) and  the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Precollege and Undergraduate Science Education Program.

For more information, contact Wendy Cory at coryw@cofc.edu.