Sonoma Elementary students focus on science

Enochs science teacher Dave Menshew, left, helps visiting fifth-graders from Sonoma Elementary School examine a Hitachi Corp. scanning electron microscope in Modesto on Wednesday. The students from left: Riley Nunes, 11, Nicole Teeples, 10, Jordan Culvahouse, 11, and Grace Young, 11. Andy Alfaro aalfaro@modbee.com

Fifth-grade students from Sonoma Elementary School visited Enochs High on Wednesday to learn how to use a high-powered scanning electron microscope, or SEM, on loan from Hitachi Corp. as part of an outreach program. Enochs science instructor Dave Menshew is helping introduce small groups of Modesto City Schools elementary students to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education to pique their interest for future study, said Becky Fortuna, public information officer for Modesto City Schools. There’s no peering, student by student, into a little eyepiece with this microscope. An SEM uses electrons instead of light to form an image of the sample being examined, and the image is shown on a monitor.

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 8:29 PM with the headline "Sonoma Elementary students focus on science."

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