It's science!
Photos courtesy of TODD HOWARD Students at Silver Hills Elementary School see how air resistance works by floating a ping-pong ball with a hair dryer.
Principal Todd Howard said that the presentations concluded with a grand finale where a vacuum pump was used to generate a difference in air pressure. The air was then allowed to rush into the PVC tube; causing a ping-pong ball to shoot through a card board box and crush an aluminum can.
By CHANSE WATSON
Managing Editor
OSBURN — Who says science can’t be fun? Because folks with the Mobius Science Center in Spokane, Wash., showed Silver Valley kids this week how much it can be.
The “Mobius on the Move” program swung by the four local elementary schools in three days and set up a series of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) workshops to teach students about a variety of topics.
This year’s topics included fluid dynamics, air resistance, air pressure, and atmospheric molecules.
The group stopped by Pinehurst Elementary on Monday, Silver Hills Elementary on Tuesday, and both Canyon and John Mullan Elementary schools on Wednesday.
At Silver Hills, Principal Todd Howard said that third through sixth-grade students were given the opportunity to view and participate in the physics demonstrations provided by Mobius. Students were able to see examples of how air affects objects depending on the amount of force or pressure available.
Howard explained that the funding for programs like “Mobius on the Move” are provided by an education grant from the Hecla Mining Company. These funds allow the schools to provide science exposure to the students for at least four years. The grant also gives the schools the resources to organize a STEM night in conjunction with a “Dinner and a Book” event in the spring.
“We hope to continue working with Mobius through future Hecla grants,” he added.
Kellogg School Superintendent Woody Woodford also stressed his appreciation for the grant funds.
“We are very appreciative of Hecla and allowing us this opportunity to expose our students to STEM programs and other science related projects.”
The Mobius Science Center is located at 331 N. Post St., Spokane. For more information on what they offer, visit www.mobiusspokane.org.