“SCIENCE IN ACTION” DAY OFFERS SCIENTIFIC FUN FOR FREE

Families looking for fun ways to engage their brains and learn more about all kinds of science will enjoy the hands-on activities at “Science in Action and Object ID Day” hosted by the Sam Noble Museum in Norman. This free family event will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, and features 20 science and activity stations scattered throughout the museum. Museum curators and other natural history experts will be available to identify objects brought in by visitors, and several museum departments and partner organizations will offer activities, demonstrations and presentations on scientific themes. The event is sponsored by OU Physicians and Chesapeake Energy.

Each of the stations set up around the museum will offer hands-on activities or demonstrations in a variety of sciences. Representatives from several museum departments and the Oklahoma Geological Survey will be on-hand to examine objects and artifacts brought in for identification. Visitors are encouraged to bring in objects such as rocks, fossils, cultural objects, bits of recorded or written languages, plants, bones and more. If the actual object cannot be brought in, photographs also are acceptable. In addition to identifying objects, museum staff will off a variety of objects from collections for “show and tell,” including fossils, fish and bird specimens, live reptiles and amphibians, gems and minerals, stone arrow points and pottery.

In addition to object identification, visitors can get a tour of the night sky via the Star Lab Dome with Norman North High School’s astronomy club, and learn how the human brain works with the Oklahoma Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. The Junior League of Norman will offer tips on having strong healthy teeth with a “Healthy Smiles” booth, featuring games, exhibits and a chance to meet the Healthy Smiles tooth fairy. Visitors can learn more about Oklahoma’s plants and animals with the Oklahoma Audobon Society and the Oklahoma Botanical Society. The museum’s education department will offer a variety of fun science activities, and the museum’s ethnology division will be demonstrating how to make coiled clay pottery.

OU Physicians, one of the event sponsors, will have representatives at Science in Action offering free blood pressure and blood sugar screenings to adults. “OU Physicians is delighted to be a part of this annual event,” said Lubna Wani, M.D., OU Physicians internal medicine specialist who sees patients in Norman. “Science and medicine go hand-in-hand and having the opportunity to help stimulate young scientific minds is very exciting to us. I look forward to meeting participants.” Wani and other OU Physicians at Norman staff will be on hand to provide the screenings.

Chesapeake Energy also is sponsoring Science in Action and will have representatives at the event. “We enjoy being able to partner with the Sam Noble Museum on this free public event,” said Teresa Rose, director of community relations for Chesapeake. “Science in Action and Object ID day is a great opportunity to get kids excited about scientific investigation. Our future depends on the next generation being dedicated to the ongoing quest for new and better ways to protect our environment and preserve our natural resources. Here at Chesapeake Energy, we are committed to promoting scientific education and awareness. This event makes it fun for kids and adults.”

“Science in Action and Object ID Day” is free and open to the public. Additional information about the event is available by calling (405) 325-4712 or on the museum’s Web site at www.snomnh.ou.edu. The museum is located on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus at Timberdell Road and Chautauqua Avenue.