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Science can be fun

Invista Wetlands helping students prepare for TAKS tests

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  • Rubi Reyes •
  • Originally published July 5, 2008 at 1:09 a.m., updated July 5, 2008 at 1:09 a.m.

Manuel Ramos does not particularly like science, but show him how and why things go fizzle and he’s all ears.

“I think it’s easier to learn when you’re actually doing the experiment,” the 17-year-old Ramos said.

Ramos will be a senior in the fall. He found out at the end of the spring semester that he didn’t pass the science portion of the TAKS test.

He along with several other students were called and alerted about the science camp from June 23 to 27 at the Invista Wetlands.

“I decided to go because I really needed the help,” Ramos said.

He and the other students were able to review TAKS questions and conduct experiments.

“It was good because the teachers were able to break down the questions for us,” Ramos said.

The students were highly motivated to learn and understand how the experiments worked said John Snyder, resident Wetland Educator. They also focused their attention to online practice tests so they could relate the questions to experiments.

“It made learning more interesting because we didn’t just review questions, we were able to do experiments,” Ramos said.

The funding for the camp comes from the state for at-risk students to help them pass the TAKS test, said Karen Schoener, Administrative Assistant to Office of Research and Development.

“The test is very broad and we are going over everything on the curriculum for the entire year,” Snyder said.

The students reviewed everything from the rock cycle to anatomy, Snyder said.

Ramos and the other students showed they were serious about the test and learning by staying focused and working hard, Snyder said.

“I feel confident now and I’m ready for the test even though I know it’s going to be difficult,” Ramos said.

Rubi Reyes is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6578 or rreyes@vicad.com or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.



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