Traveling sea lab brings ocean to kids

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 23, 2017

Opp Elementary School students got a big thrill on Wednesday when Bay Mobile Traveling Touch Lab brought their sea life exhibit for the children to learn about.

“We go around to schools all over the state of Alabama,” Touch Lab teacher Chris Flight said. “We have six teachers at our lab in Dauphin Island and we take turns taking the bus around to different schools in the state to teach the students about the sea life that lives just off the coast of Alabama.”

The Touch Lab brings in dead sea life that one will find in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mobile Bay.

“Our goal is to teach the children about the types of marine life that they live nearby,” Flight said. “We don’t do this with a lot of lectures, though. We want the children to learn by getting to pick them up and feel them. It’s a very hands-on experience for the kids.”

Students at OES got to visit the lab during their PE classes all day on Wednesday.

OES principal Shawn Short said earlier this week the students were looking forward to the program.

The touch lab also visited Andalusia Elementary School on Tuesday.