Date: Fri 20-Feb-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

schools-Newton-science

Full Text:

Newton in a Nutshell

(with cuts)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Fifth graders at Middle Gate School experimented with principles of Newtonian

physics with the guest educator, Susan Vartenigian of High Tech/High Touch

Company, and her presentation entitled "Newton in a Nutshell."

Gravity and other basic facts of physics affect everything we do, but as Adam

Seferi described it, sometimes more pressing concerns get in the way.

Talking about bike riding and physics, Adam Seferi said, "Sometimes you are

going so fast, gravity might be pulling you out, but you don't notice it

because you are so scared!"

Last Wednesday morning, Adam and his classmates did notice gravity, as well as

other principles of physics that affect the motion of objects.

The students learned that gravity makes two balls dropped from the same height

land after the same length of time.

Students were then challenged to explain why paper, in one student's words,

"kind of floats."

Students arrived at the concept of air resistance, then went about trying to

make their piece of paper overcome it.

Students made many attempts at making the paper fall as fast as the wood

block, from dropping the paper on its side, to making it into a tube, to

wetting it to increase its mass and making it into a paper airplane!

But the one that worked every time was to make the paper fall with the wood.

One student pressed the paper over the wood block and one pressed the paper

under it -- both worked perfectly.

Chris Yitts held the paper under the wood and let go.

In triumph, he said, "The block has more weight and pushed down the paper!"

Pam Fagan, math/science specialist for Middle Gate School, is very supportive

of teaching basic science concepts with hands-on activities.

She said that this was an "in-house field trip."

She said that children paid $6 each for the program, which is a lot less than

they would pay for a bus.