Eighth graders at Carver Middle School in Meridian are sharing their knowledge of what lies beyond the stars at The Carver Galaxy – a student-made museum that focuses on earth science.

Throughout the week, elementary students and the public are invited to view the museum, play space games, and complete a lab activity. The museum was created by teacher Amanda Shadwick’s science students.

Shadwick said the museum is designed to help fifth-grade students learn more about earth science. It covers phases of the moon, layers of the earth, the planets, stars and galaxies.

“This is our fourth year and the goal was for my science students to learn from the experience,” Shadwick said. “Because if they can go back and teach it, they can learn it.”

Shadwick says students don’t forget the experience. For many, it’s a lesson they will never forget, and remember for years to come.

“Before beginning, the students had to present a lesson plan to me on what they were going to teach and how, ” Shadwick said. “They worked very hard on the project which took nearly two months. They loved doing it, and are very proud of their work.”

Students Madison Dixon, Zora Prater, and Charlie Harper said they learned a lot from the project. 

“It taught me a lot of things I didn’t know about certain planets,” Dixon said. “The hands-on experience was enjoyable and exciting.”

“I learned a lot about the galaxy, low and high mass stars, and the different phases of the moon,” said Prater. “At first I was shaky, but now I am good with it. I don’t want to live on Mars because they will only send food every ten years and I have to eat every day.”

Harper, who learned a lot of new constellation names, didn’t know there was a big and little dipper.

“I also didn’t know about comets and that they are nicknamed the “dirty snowballs” of space,” Harper said. “About Mars, I will just stay here because I can’t leave Earth there are too many memories.”

Students were not the only ones to tour the Carver Galaxy Tuesday – Meridian Mayor Percy Bland and Meridian Parks and Recreation Director Kelvin McGruder also dropped by to check out the solar system. 

“I am just so impressed with what the students had going on in this galaxy class,” Bland said. “To me, it took a lot of science, technology, engineering, and math to explain what these students just explained to me. They had a thorough knowledge and understanding of the constellation system, planets, and everything that happens up above.”

“You can tell they put a lot of work into this project,” McGruder said. “It is amazing how creative they are. We are going to have some great citizens come out of Carver Middle School.”