On February 27th, leaders from our GEO team headed to Walker Middle School to inspire the next generation of industry professionals. They volunteered their expertise for Little Elm ISD’s Galactic Girls in STEM event, leading interactive geology and engineering experiments for all the girls in the 6th grade class. The energy was high, and the experiments were a total hit!
Our team brought the lab to life with four hands-on stations:
- The Sieve Analysis: Using actual aggregate project samples, the girls poured and shook river rock, sand, and silt/clay through professional sieve sets. They loved seeing the tangible results of grain size separation.
- Expansive Soils in Action: Using powdered bentonite in swell rings, students hydrated their own samples. By comparing their work to previous class periods, they witnessed the powerful swelling process of expansive soils firsthand.
- The Acid Test: To demonstrate how geologists identify calcium carbonate, the team used hydrochloric acid (HCl). The girls observed the lack of reaction in shale, the “major reaction” of limestone, and the fascinating partial reaction of a conglomerate rock’s cementing agent.
- The Magenta Reveal: A crowd favorite! Students used phenolphthalein indicator to test for lime treatment, spraying the samples and watching them instantly transform to a bright magenta.
The event was a tremendous success, and the impact was immediate. The science teachers were so impressed with the Geotex team’s engagement that they have already invited us back for next year.
A huge thank you to our team for representing Geotex and showing these students how exciting a career in STEM can be.