News
Mercer educates children in a fun way
Scott Wagar
08/05/2014
For the children of Bottineau and the surrounding areas they had the opportunity this summer to take in environmental and science programs thanks to one woman who enjoys the outdoors and how it ticks.
Local Bottineau woman, Emily Mercer, started her own summer school where she educates children on a number of classes that involve science.
Mercer holds a degree in marine science from Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., and works the preschool science programs for Dakota College at Bottineau, along with North Dakota Game and Fish’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman or BOW program.
She started her summer science school because of her two children, her love for education and the outside.
“I started teaching children about the environment and taking them fishing when I was in high school, through an environmental club,” Mercer said.
“Through out college I taught swimming lessons and worked at camps. Upon graduation I moved to Orange County California where I worked as a field naturalist for their department of education. Throughout the last ten years I have continued to work for camps and city outdoor education programs,” she continued.
“And, I love outdoor education and my children. Last summer I looked into sending them to some sort of summer science school and found there was nothing in the area, so I started my own.”
This summer she held programs at the Bottineau County Public Library and Forestry Park, which was attended by a large number of kids in the area.
Mercer’s programs at the park were sponsored by Dakota College at Bottineau’s community education program. The programs included Tracks and Scat, Animals that Fly, Animals that Swim, and America the Beautiful.
“All the classes where two hours long and included a take home craft, an activity related to the topic, and a snack,” Mercer said.
“Thanks to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department the children also received laminated identification guides for many of the topics we learned about,” she stated.
“Having a marine background, my favorite classes to teach always involve water. For the Animals that Swim program the children learned about fish and aquatic invertebrates. Each child was given a fish identification pamphlet to take home and we learned the different parts of a fish. We also made fish print bandanas.
“For the aquatic invertebrates part of the class the children were taught the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates. They were then given an identification guide and allowed to collect some invertebrates,” she continued.
At the library, she taught children about static electricity and reactions and explosions in association with the nationwide collaborative summer reading program, Fizz, Boom, Read.
“I really enjoyed the library. The staff was great and made preparation for the class very simple,” Mercer said. “The children who came were very engaged in learning and really seemed to enjoy the hands on experiments.”
Through Dakota College at Bottineau, Mercer offers preschool science classes in the winter and early summer. She added that she also would like to offer classes to early elementary school students if she can find interest in the community. Individuals, who have an interest in Mercer’s classes, can reach her at emercer@me.com.