Press Room --
Carrol Hall Science Program for Middle School Students SPRINGFIELD – On Saturday, January 29 from 1:00 – 3:30 pm, the Illinois State Museum will present Lab Rats, the annual Carrol Hall Science Series for students in grades 6 - 8. Students will learn about the importance of science as Dr. Shawn Carlson, of LabRats Educational Programs, presents amazing demonstrations of the properties that govern the universe. Students will participate in workshops which will feature hands-on activities such as turning a CD into a handheld spectrograph, making a DNA extraction kit from materials found in the kitchen, and turning a cell phone into a digital microscope. Dr. Shawn Carlson is a renowned innovator in science education. His passion to help all young people expand their talents in science and technology has produced extraordinary results. Dr. Shawn's revolutionary approaches have proven so effective that he is only person to receive the highly prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for achievements in science education. Dr. Shawn is the creative force behind the LabRats’ Science Education Program (www.labrats.org). He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Society for Amateur Scientists. His column "The Amateur Scientist," which he wrote for Scientific American magazine for six years, had over one million monthly readers. This is the twelfth in a series of annual science programs funded by a generous bequest from the Carrol C. Hall estate to the Illinois State Museum Society. Mr. Hall was a prominent and respected educator who taught chemistry for 28 years at Springfield High School and was a co-founder of Horace Mann Insurance Company. Registration for this free program is required by January 27. Students can register online (bit.ly/chall11) or by mail. Activity sessions will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. A full list of activity sessions and registration information is available on the Museum’s Web site www.museum.state.il.us/events or by contacting Elizabeth Bazan at ebazan@museum.state.il.us or (217) 782-5993. The Illinois State Museum promotes discovery, learning, and an appreciation of Illinois’ natural, cultural, and artistic heritage. The Museum’s extensive collections and research activities provide the foundation for exhibitions and public programs that tell the story of the land, life, people, and art of Illinois. The Illinois State Museum is located at 502 S. Spring Street (the corner of Spring and Edwards Streets) in Springfield, and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Parking is available nearby, and the building is ADA accessible.
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