Frankston Elementary School third graders learn about the difference between healthy foods and snack foods from Claudann Jones during a tour of AgriWorld at the East Texas State Fair in Tyler on Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018. AgriWorld gives fair visitors an educational opportunity to learn more about the foods, fibers, and other products people use each day and their beginnings in the agriculture industry. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

When Carla Bizzell’s third-grade science class begins reading “Charlotte’s Web” next week, they already will have a strong sense of setting thanks to an educational adventure at the East Texas State Fair.

The Frankston Elementary School students learned about everything from engineering to agriculture and how it ties into their everyday life.

Bizzell said the students will participate in project-based learning lessons in each area of study, using the classic children’s book as the common thread.

They’ll be reading it, learning how fair rides can be constructed to create fun while being safe and seeing the importance of various agriculture-related disciplines.

“They ask a lot of questions, like where the animals go,” Bizzell said.

Many of the students’ questions were answered through the fair’s AgriWorld exhibit, which features more than a dozen community partners coming together to help educate students about the impact their organizations have on their everyday lives.

“What do you do when you get stung by a bee?” was just one of the questions students were asked by the East Texas Beekeepers Association as they showed students a hive.

“Scream!” was the unanimous response. 

The beekeepers taught students the difference between friendly bees and not-so-friendly wasps, and also how so much of the plant life we rely on is in danger of collapsing if bees continue to die out.

Wyatt Metcalf said the bees were scary, but he liked watching them and getting to see what a queen bee looks like.

Students also learned about nutrition, the types of plants grown locally and how much work goes into bringing food from the farm to their kitchen table.

The AgriWorld exhibit is open daily in Building E on the fairgrounds. For more information, visit ETStateFair.com

Check out our gallery of photos from the event on focusinon.me.