The Findley Science Fair is Thursday, March 14. Registration forms are due Friday, Jan 31. See the attached file for more dates and details about science fair.
TODAY was the science fair kick-off assembly! The kids enjoyed an entertaining performance by Rhys Thomas, a professional juggler and comedian. Rhys has traveled the world sharing his love of circus tricks, physics and laughter through his Science Circus show.
Here are some conversation starters to begin the science fair season in your own home. At this morning’s assembly, your child learned about the following physics concepts (and more):
Gravity: Why is gravity both good and bad for a juggler? (Good because the juggler can predict how the objects will move; bad because the objects are constantly falling toward the earth!)
Constant Acceleration: Gravity pulls objects toward the earth at a constant rate of acceleration, so the speed of dropping objects is always increasing…what does this mean for a ball dropped from 1ft above the ground vs. the same ball dropped from the top of a building? (The ball dropped from the top of the building will hit the ground much harder because it is moving much faster than the ball dropped 1 ft. from the ground)
Your child might even tell you that Galileooooooooooo! discovered this fact.
Gyroscopic Stability: Ask about tricks performed to demonstrate that a spinning object can be easier to balance than a stationary object–including balls, plates, and a Chinese Yo-Yo.
If your child is interested in learning more about juggling and/or the science of motion, you can check out the learning guide posted on Rhys’ website (http://sciencecircus.biz/Home.html; Check the star in the lower right corner for the learning guide link). He has lots of learning activities listed and a great bibliography, including The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick and Art Huffman.
If physics doesn’t spark your child’s curiosity, there are SO MANY other questions that your child could answer by following the scientific method! Performing an experiment not only answers a question but also helps your student understand and remember the answer. Enjoy talking with your kids.
See the attached file for more information on this year’s science fair, including guidelines for Partner Projects (new this year).
Thanks,
Angie Mitlehner
Contact me at indigosky.97 if you have questions.
