The Carnegie Science Center has launched its latest “Science on the Road” school outreach program, Colossal Fossil Fuels, which aims to teach students about Earth’s energy resources.

One of the key topics of the interactive program focuses on Marcellus Shale.

Colossal Fossil Fuels is funded by EQT Corporation, a Pittsburgh-based energy company that focuses on Appalachian area natural gas production.

However, Carnegie Science Center co-Director Ron Baillie feels discussion on Marcellus Shale has been over-politicized, while other aspects of the process have been ignored.

“What we have felt from the Science Center perspective is that there’s not been nearly enough of the science of both the energy itself and where it came from and how it got there, but also how we get it,” Baillie said.

Within the assembly, students discover an ocean once covered Pennsylvania and that algae within the ocean transformed over millions of years into the natural gas now stored in Marcellus Shale.

Baillie says this kind of information is central to science curriculums in Pennsylvania.

“When we address students, we’re looking at [Pennsylvania’s] particular standards that teachers are trying to accomplish in their classroom and providing a program that we think helps them in a significant way to carry through that content to their kids,” Baillie said.

“Science on the Road” was formed in the early 1980’s with the goal of teaching science in every student by providing convenient science education opportunities to schools.