Date: Fri 06-Mar-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

Discovery-Science-Fair

Full Text:

Discovery Science Fair: Exploring Science With A Spirit Of Adventure

(with photos)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

"This is fun!" said Ian Wilk, hands dripping with a polymer he made from glue

and bread.

"It's boiling, but it feels cold!" came the startled response of a girl

examining liquid nitrogen (which she later discovered had a boiling point of

about 200 degrees below zero Celsius) in a workshop on cold and color.

"Can you hear me?" a boy asked his father over a string telephone.

This was some of the science explored by the 330 Newtown youngsters who

participated in the Discovery Science Workshops held at the high school last

Saturday.

In back-to-back science sessions, kids investigated everything from eyeballs

to x-rays; from environmental awareness to electromagnetic quirks; from far

off galaxies to microscopic life.

Chris Canfield and Tom Kuroski, science teachers at Newtown Middle School,

earned their reputation as the "Kantastic wizards" in their workshop entitled

Color and Combustion .

Mr Canfield said, "You have to entertain as you teach. We try to keep the kids

guessing.

"If there's a potential for us to get hurt, it seems more exciting!"

Mr Canfield had just pulled down his goggles, then gingerly held out a

balloon.

Mr Kuroski, standing at a safe distance, slowly and carefully aimed his

igniting rod at the balloon.

Kids snuggled in closer to their parents and peeked out.

Poof! The balloon exploded the instant the tip of Mr Kuroski's rod touched it.

Seconds later volumes of black smoke poured out.

After the kids settled down, Mr Canfield said, "That's one way to tell a

chemical reaction has taken place. What do you think all this black stuff

might be?" A child answered, "Carbon?" and the lesson began.

Through riveting demonstrations and hands-on activities, children (and

parents) learned how color change and combustion are both signs that a

chemical reaction has taken place.

Mr Kuroski said that "if we can turn on one kid out of thirty, that's worth

it. Who knows where they'll go with it!"

Judy Rosentel of the Newtown Junior Women's Club, which put on the Discovery

Science Workshops, said the idea for the workshops started seven years ago.

John Reed, school's superintendent, came to the club to encourage them to

involve parents in a hands-on science program with their children.

Mrs Rosentel said that the club liked the idea at once. They began with 11

workshops offered in two sessions. Now there are 33 workshops.

Parents are an integral part of the workshops because the Newtown Junior

Women's Club wants to encourage parents to be involved with their children's

science education.

Mrs Rosentel has been very pleased with the community response to the program,

not only from parents, but also from people who volunteer their time and

businesses who give financial support.

The Newtown Savings Bank, Danbury Hospital, The Dock, Inc, and Taunton Press

together contributed the $1,800 necessary for printing the materials and

helping with the cost of science supplies.

The Board of Education gave them full use of the high school facilities.

Workshop volunteers have also been wonderful, said Mrs Rosentel.

She said that "all of them enjoyed it so much, they want to come back. Once

you do it and you see how excited the kids get, you just want to keep coming

back."

The Newtown Junior Women's Club has helped a club in New York City set up a

similar program, and recently had a request from a Danbury resident about

using the Newtown program as a model.

Volunteers with the Newtown Junior Women's Club put in many hours organizing

this event and seemed relieved when everything went so well.

Pat Tenney said, "I don't think that Jan [Huot] and Judy [Rosentel] got to

sleep last night. It was so much work. But when you see the kids, learning and

having a good time, it makes it all worthwhile."

The club, however, can't relax for long. Their next project, the Science Fair,

is set for March 28.

They are hoping that kids will take what they have learned at the workshops,

in school or at home, and pull it together into a science project.

Mrs Rosentel said that kids can do any project that is scientifically based.

The fair is open to all elementary school age children in Newtown, not only

those who attend local public and private schools, but also home-schoolers.

In past years, students have made volcanoes, brought in small animals (in

cages) made their own paper from recycled materials and done chemistry

projects, to name a few.

She said one year, a student made a remote-control robot.

This event is non-competitive and will offer an entertaining science show as

well. Everybody gets a ribbon.

Participants are welcome to work with parents or other kids, but the

participants must be able to explain the project themselves.

(More information on the Science Fair will be sent home with school children

closer to the date. Debbie Malin of The Newtown Junior Women's Club is

volunteering with the Science Fair. Her phone number is 270-8655.)

Mrs Rosentel said that, as with the workshops, "we just want them to walk away

saying `science is fun.'"