“I used to think the ocean was just a blue body of water with a couple of fish, but now I know it holds many secrets and is still evolving.”
—Holiday Celebration 2007 Participant

Students everywhere always look forward to their winter breaks, dreaming about presents, snow, and of course, time off from school. This year, Project Exploration students had something more to look forward to—hands-on science with a geologist at the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI).

Project Exploration is committed to not only getting students interested in science, but also keeping them interested in science through personalized experiences. Our annual Holiday Celebration gives us a chance to have fun with each other—and with science! 

On January 3, 2007, 37 students and family members, 10 educators, and one scientist came together to learn about underwater geology and biology. The day started with a movie—Volcanoes of the Deep Sea—at MSI’s Omnimax movie theater. This film explores deep sea environments located more than 12,000 feet below the surface of the water and the creatures that survive there in absolute darkness.

After viewing the bottom of the ocean on the big screen, students put what they saw into context with Northeastern Illinois University geologist Cary Easterday. Exploring plate tectonics and the history of under-sea geological research, Cary amazed guests with shocking scientific facts. For example, students learned that the sea floor, like the continents, are constantly moving and every 250,000 years the Earth’s magnetic poles reverse!

Cary Easterday, a geologist from Northeastern Illinois University, explains how plate tectonics and paleomagnetism affect the geology of the ocean floor. Photo C. Bell

Students hold up the models they made of seafloor spreading. The models illustrate how the sea-floor is splitting apart and spreading in the middle at the mid-ocean ridge and being destroyed along the coastline at deep sea trenches. Pull the tabs and watch geology in action! Photo C. Bell

With their new found knowledge, students constructed working models that illustrate the creation and destruction of rock at the seafloor. Armed with their models, students were equipped to explain to each other and their family at home the scientific wonders of the deep!

Chuck and Corzail use teamwork to color in episodes of normal and reversed magnetic polarity on their seafloor models. Photo C. Bell

Charlita, Dominique, and Sinclair explain the movement of the ocean floor using their models. Photo C. Bell

If you want to learn more about seafloor spreading, mid-ocean ridges, and deep-sea trenches, please check out a glossary of terms associated with plate tectonics.

Learn more about te impact of our programs on our kids' lives—check out our Youth Program Evaluation.