So. Ill. Science Center receives Emriver Em2 river model | News

CARBONDALE, IL (KFVS) - The Science Center of Southern Illinois has announced they have received an Emriver Em2 river model on permanent loan from the College of Science at SIU Carbondale.

The Em2 model was purchased with funds from the Southern Illinois Partnership for Achievement in Math and Science grant sponsored by the Illinois Board of Higher Education Improving Teacher Quality State Grant Program.  SIPAMS is a teacher professional development program led by Frackson Mumba, Harvey Henson, Mary Wright and Lingguo Bu at SIU Carbondale. This program serves mathematics and science teachers in 26 partner school districts in southern Illinois and aims to increase elementary and middle school teachers’ mathematics and science content and pedagogical knowledge.

The Science Center says the Em2 river model was built locally by Little River Research & Design of Carbondale.  LRRD donated materials and labor to provide special safety and other kid-friendly modifications to the model for use at the Science Center. Children throughout the area of all ages will now have hands on opportunities to simulate river processes with remarkable accuracy. The Em2 demonstrates basic principles of river behavior, subtle channel morphology, and sediment transport processes.     

An open house and ribbon cutting ceremony will take place for the new river model exhibit on Saturday Oct. 27, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. The celebration is free to the public.

Steve Gough, hydroecologist and principal at LRRD, and SIUC scientists will be available at the ceremony to talk to kids and to discuss use of the river model for educational projects. Materials for teachers and home school groups will be available.  

For more information contact The Science Center at 529-5431 or click here to visit them online.

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