My Wishing Rock: My second PACE 'I am a scientist' class - for parents AND their young scientists

Today, July 17th, 2013, I start my second round of workshops at PACE, the large community center on Main Street, in Parker, entitled,
I AM A SCIENTIST.

This evening, starting at 6:30, young children, who will be addressed as Young Scientists, will work with their parents (Adult Scientists) on a range of fun, 'hands-on', scientific activities that I have used countless times with countless children in countless classrooms.

I hope it all goes as well as my first round of five classes (see BLOG POST: MY FIRST PACE WORKSHOP for children and parents) when everyone had fun, when the adults really did work with their young scientists and not do everything for them).

Here's the proposed agenda for the evening's science workshop:

- I'll be there very early and set up the tables in a semi circle. Children (the youngest, I believe, is 4 and the oldest is 14) will sit and face me......their parents will be on the opposite side of each table.

Adults on the outside, young scientists on the inside, sitting close to me and my table of resources

- Resources (all recycled material, plus scissors and glue, which I've been collecting for the past month) will be set out on each table.

I will welcome everyone and begin by telling them about my 71st birthday walk, and showing them as I talk what I found, stressing how I keep and save the best in a tin, a ROCKBOX, or, in this case as it was a special day, in an old cigar box - and that I return the rest on my next walk:

I will show my ROCKBOX, made from an egg carton, and hand out one to each young scientist, encouraging them to use it the next time they go out for a walk in the countryside.

Then, I shall tell about the birthday walk I took on my 5th birthday, about my childhood, how my mum and dad set me on the track of becoming a scientist by taking me to the beach and the country lanes around my home. This will give me the opportunity to tell them my wishing rock story (see BLOG POST: I'M a COLLECTOR)

I will give each young scientist a wishing rock...........collected long ago from Lariggan Beach in Penzance, and and ask them to keep their wishing rock in their tin .........and thus make their first POCKET MUSEUM.

I will show some of my pocket museums.

An arrow head

A special walk

Humming Bird nest

- Then, when I know I have the young scientists in the palm of my hand, I will introduce the first science challenge: building a bridge from newspaper. This activity focuses on team building between the adult and the young scientist. The bridge, incidentally, has to hold the weight of brick!

- When I've tested every bridge, we will work on a range of FLIGHT activities, starting with a simple boomerang.

** I'll take some photos and put them on this post and share with you how the evening goes.

Well, many more kid scientists came than I expected, but, fortunately, I had resources for everyone. And what excitement and anticipation they brought with them as they came into the room!
This is what they saw in front of them for Class One: Making Things Fly...

The kid scientists sat close to me as I began the class......and they were GREAT listeners!
When we started with the activities:

....the room was soon filled with the excited buzz of young scientists at work.

I loved every minute of it!

Dad's watching............

Flying time!

'Do you need some scissors?'

'Watch me, watch me!'

The world's SMALLEST papercopter

There was the greatest buzz!

The time went so quickly. I didn't get but halfway through the planned activities before the 90 minutes was up. I'll hold those until next week.

It was really a great night of science. The adults were super with their young scientists, helping, supporting, advising, explaining......but mainly letting the kids explore and enjoy.

Then yesterday, some feedback .......I received this email from one of the adult scientsits who brought her two children to my first class, and again to my second:

Hello,

My two scientists love their science teacher....you inspire them!! They love sharing with you because they know and love that you have a true appreciation for things. We had that wood for years and they would never let anyone else have a piece including their friends because they knew it would never be appreciated or treasured. Then, they met you and without hesitation, Neil wanted you to have a piece and couldn't wait to give it to you.

When we went on vacation and hiked to Fish Creek Falls, my two kids kept said, "I wish Mr. Paull was here will us, he would love this". Then when we tubed down the Yampa, all I heard was, "Mr. Paull would be able to tell us about those birds and their nests" and "Mr. Paull would know what kind of fish that was." Then there was the bike ride and Mr. Paull this, and Mr. Paul that....

Needless to say, you were on vacation with us and I loved every minute of it! We actually wished you were physically there with us!

Thanks for being GREAT!

We love you!

Flippin' 'eck!!
PAYDAY!!

CLASS TWO

How Things Move.

Activities I had planned (and included in the handout for the parents) included:
Making a FLIP FLOP, a Can Dragster, a Starbucks Dragster, a CD machine, and a Marble Run.
I started off the evening by telling the children about the day I found my amber on Lariggan Beach.......what happened when I took it to school to show my teacher......and showed them my OXO tin where I have kept it safe for over 66 years.

Then, we made FLIP FLOPS - and the young scientists were off and running - literally, around the room, showing each other what they had made.

The BEST marble run!!

Timing the descent of the marble

'Mmmmm.....this seems to work really well!'

'That's my young scientist!'

Starting the soda can dragster!

Again, the evening went too fast and I didn't do all that I could have and should have done. Hey, hey, the fun and joy of teaching...............

I'm already making adjustments in what we shall be investigating next week in Class 3.

Class 3

I arrived well over an hour before the start of class, rearranged the tables and set out the resources.
The plan was to build a bridge, the highest tower, then a paperplane launcher..........and more