Second graders at Shaw Avenue School in Valley Stream District 30 recently completed a weeklong interactive program called Submerge Storytelling. The program aims to inspire creativity in children by facilitating a physical and metaphysical environment where they can lose themselves in their imaginations.

Following along the fictional storyline of “Surfing on Saturn,” one of the school’s classrooms was transformed into the room of Emmy Sagan by Submerge Storytelling program founder Cory Levine. Emmy is a 12-year-old scientist and engineer who has invented the award-winning Emmy Engine to help her best friend, Broman, improve his surfing skills.

As the story and week evolved, Emmy asked the students to take part in an Operation Battery simulation along with NASA. As part of the plot, students imagined that the world’s supply of batteries is nearly gone, and NASA asked for the assistance of Emmy and the students at Shaw Avenue to assist with a mission to Saturn to recover minerals that can help restore the supply of batteries. Students used magnifying glasses to closely examine the different minerals such as pyrite, calcite, malachite, and lepidolite based on their color.



Photo captions:

1-6: Second graders at Shaw Avenue School in Valley Stream 30 closely examined minerals as part of an interactive program called Submerge Storytelling.

7: Leading the experience was program founder Cory Levine, who assisted students in an Operation Battery simulation.

8-9: Students worked together on the Operation Battery simulation.

Click here to view the Second graders participate in ‘Operation Battery’ at Shaw Avenue School slideshow.

Photos courtesy of the Valley Stream District 30

Date Added: 5/7/2025