Posts
Weather and Science Day with 9News, Steve Spangler Science and the Colorado Rockies Reaches All Time High
Our annual Weather and Science Day reached a new height this year with the launch of a weather balloon during the event. The weather balloon was launched with help from The Edge of Space. During it's flight, it reached the edge of space at a…
President Obama… Please Let Me Help You Make Science Cool
President Barack Obama held a town hall meeting at Facebook headquarters on Wednesday... and his comment about making science cool caught my attention.
“I’m frustrated by stories about how we can’t find enough engineers and computer programmers.…
Tougher Science Requirements Do Not Guarantee Higher Science Knowledge
More Does Not Mean Better
A new report from the Consortium on Chicago School Research shows the act of increasing graduation requirements in science for high school students does not necessarily help them grow their science knowledge.
In 1997,…
Science "Left Behind" in American Schools
You may have seen the recent commercials showing a child raising flags representing America's standing in school ranking world-wide. I came across an article for the same campaign that shared some striking, but unfortunately not surprising,…
A Look Inside Our Lab on Modern Marvels
The crew from Modern Marvels on the History Channel visited our science lab back in July to play with some really cold science experiments. In other words, the liquid nitrogen was flowing and the onions were exploding! Mark your calendars……
Exploding Watermelons
I love Halloween. One of my favorite activities is to "carve" pumpkins using a simple reation inside the fruit. First, you carve the face then carefully replace pieces. After creating a reaction by generating a gas inside and igniting it (ask…
Hooked on Learning – Jack Spangler’s Magic Trick
Jack is 8 years old and likes to perform (he must get that from his Mom). Three years ago, the owners of Frog Street Press invited Jack to accompany me to their amazing summer conference for teachers called SPLASH. I helped Jack perform his…
Water Flowing Uphill?
Not exactly... but this stuff is really cool. It's probably best described as a self-siphoning gel. The chemical is called polyethylene oxide or Polyox and it has an incredibly large molecular weight - about 4 million. When the powder is mixed…
Remembering Mr. Wizard – A True Inspiration
As I was driving home this evening, I received a call from a fellow science teacher who shared the news of the passing of Don Herbert. As I reflect on the impact Mr. Wizard had on science education and me personally, I can't help but be thankful…
Young Rocket Scientists Inspired by Homer Hickam
Only a very cool teacher gives this kind of homework to her students... "Using only construction paper and tape, I want you to design a rocket." Lisa Heaton, the Gifted and Talented teacher showed her students a specially designed rocket launcher…
