Sci-Port Adventure

Christy Carter, Cherise Churchill, Jessica Hicks, Jennifer Madding, and Adrian Washington, fourth grade teachers at Johnston-McQueen Elementary School, received grant funding of $2,572.40 to take 101 fourth graders to Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport.  The teachers requested this trip to give students an opportunity to engage in inquiry and experiments directly rather than just hearing or reading about scientific concepts, fulfilling the Foundation’s goal of offering students hands-on learning that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

In the classroom, the students learned about the planets, their unique characteristics, the role of the sun as the center of the solar system, the movement of the moon around Earth, the importance of the stars and constellations, and the history of space exploration. Students also kept a moon journal to track and illustrate what they observed in the night sky, and they participated in class in a lab investigation that modeled the rotation of Earth on its axis and its revolution around the sun to visualize how these movements create the cycles of the day and night and the changing seasons.  Their classroom participation ensured that students had the background knowledge to actively engage with the planetarium’s program. 

Students also learned about chemical reactions, so they were ready to observe demonstrations to discover what combinations create “pops” and “fizzes.”  They also learned about the states of matter:  solid, liquid, and gas.
With knowledge firmly in place, students boarded buses on May 8, for a three-hour learning adventure at Sci-Port.


Kay Ray, Longview ISD Foundation’s executive director, interviewed thirty-fourth-grade students who were eager to share their favorite moments at Sci-Port.   
Students learned more about the universe in an exhibit about the planets.  Students said they learned more about the stars, especially the North Star and other constellations.  They learned about the planets, especially noting that Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet, but it isn’t the only one.  Students said there are five dwarf planets in total, but they quickly pointed out that Pluto, once considered the ninth planet, is in the Kuiper Belt, while Ceres, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system.  Earth, they learned, was created about 4.6 billion years ago within a massive cloud of gas and dust. This [GR1] nebula collapsed under its own gravity, possibly triggered by a collision with an asteroid. As the cloud contracted, it spun faster and flattened into a disk, with most of the mass concentrating at the center to form the Sun. They also learned about the phases of the moon and their effect on Earth.

Students reported that our galaxy holds many other planets beyond our solar system.  However, scientists have no evidence of life beyond Earth.   Students, however, said that exploring for those planets and possible other life forms is important.  They want to know if there are space aliens or other planets with life forms.  Therefore, they think space exploration is necessary, not only to search for other space inhabitants but also to conduct experiments in space that will lead to new inventions on earth.  They also discussed the bravery of astronauts, knowing that their lives are at risk.  Some students said they didn’t think they could be captive in a small space capsule for a long period of time, but they applauded those who were brave enough for space travel.

When asked if they would consider a career in science or space exploration, some students said they want to become engineers.  Some said they would certainly like to travel in space and think that man will establish colonies on other planets in their lifetime. 
Students enjoyed the live demonstrations to learn about solids, gases, and liquids and their chemical reactions.  They explained experiments and chemical reactions that created “pops,” like the kind they get with Pop Rocks candy and fireworks and “fizzes,” like the kind that happen when vinegar and baking soda are combined or when they open a carbonated soda.  Mrs. Ray, a former English teacher, interjected a short vocabulary lesson, teaching the students the words “ebullient” and “effervescent” since the students had explained the bubbly reaction of alkaline substances and water, like Alka-Seltzer tablets dropped in water.  While these words may have a scientific connection, she explained that they also can describe people.  Someone who is vivacious or is bubbling over with enthusiasm is described as ebullient or having an effervescent personality. 

They also enjoyed other exhibits:  throwing a ball to check their throwing speed with a radar gun (one student was clocked at 48 MPH), being lifted by suction, and lying on a bed of nails without being hurt because their weight was evenly distributed over the nails.  They also learned about the human body at an exhibit showing the bones and muscles. 

All the students said they would recommend a trip to Sci-Port and want their parents to take them again.

For spring 2026, the Foundation awarded six field trip grants, four to elementary schools and two to middle schools, for a total of $30,902.98.

The Longview ISD Foundation, Inc. has funded thirty-one academic field trip grants for a total of $143,467.08.  The Longview ISD Foundation, Inc. is proud to support Longview ISD educators and students as both strive for excellence in learning.

To date, the Longview ISD Foundation, Inc. has proudly returned $1,198,747.96 to Longview ISD classrooms and campuses to enable innovative educators to provide enhanced educational opportunities for all students. 

The Foundation appreciates the loyal community support that has made these opportunities possible and the teachers who apply for grants because they too want more educational opportunities for their students. 
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