I ran to grab my camera when I saw these 6th grade boys spontaneously singing…I told the boys the video would be online but the first couple of seconds are really the best part. At one of Investigating Energy’s interactive stations, we play the CD to measure how many watts are being used, especially as you turn it up or down. Click the link below to see the video on COSI’s YouTube channel:
The first picture is with girls from the same school as the singing boys in Avon, Ohio (at Holy Trinity Catholic School). The girls spelled out COSI using the dominoes from the station where they learn about potential and kinetic energy in something as simple as blocks.
The last picture was just a cute one of me and a little girl with curly hair (hair twins) at Zellers Elementary in Strongsville, Ohio. She was my nuclear physicist during the show.
On January 12, 2012, COSI Academy students explored various different aspects of engineering (COSI Academy is COSI’s STEM-career exploration program for high-school students). In the morning I led a zip line activity with the students. Their objective was to create a zip line with four feet of string and various different materials. They were paired in groups and were given forty-five minutes to achieve three goals.
The first was to create a carrier that would transport a regular ping pong ball from point A to point B (four ft) in four seconds. Once the students gathered their materials they could alter them, but could not go back to get more materials if they found out that it did not work out the first time. I timed the students once they implemented their zip line plan.
The second goal was to add or subtract materials in order for the students to get their carrier to land at point B in seven seconds. Many were extremely creative in brainstorming their ideas. Some students used balloons and placed their ping balls inside of them to replace a carrier. Part of this exercise was to demonstrate how an engineer will need to talk through several ideas before putting them into action, trial and error and understanding how to work with limited materials in strict time limitations.
I was impressed by one student that continued to work past the forty-five minutes into lunch! This was on the third goal. Once the students had reached the seven second goal, I told them their final challenge was to recreate the zip line so that the ping pong ball launched out of the carrier. Brandon, an active student in COSI Academy, worked for several minutes into lunch after trying very hard to get his ping ball to launch.
Attached below is the sequence of me timing Brandon and the end when he finally got his ball to launch in seven seconds.
Photos from COSI On Wheels’ very own Natalie Cooper, on the road with COSI’s “What’s Wild?” program in West Virginia, and making more than a few new friends!
Principal Betty Moore took this picture of me teaching her students about energy using a tower of dominos housing potential energy and the Segway crashing through it creating kinetic energy. Also the best Time magazine cover ever made.
COSI was present during the 7th Annual National Night Out Festival at South Ogden Avenue in Columbus, Ohio.
National Night Out is a nationwide event that invites residents to stand with community leaders and local police to give crime a “going away party.” There are over 10,000 communities that participate in this event.
For the community on South Ogden Avenue, it was a way to bring the community closer together. And what’s a better way than to have COSI On Wheels’ Science Spot bring some enjoyable hands-on science? COSI On Wheels was able to teach science, bring COSI closer to their community, and let all of the South Ogden community have fun at the same time.
I know for me, events like these make COSI On Wheels a little more special.
COSI On Wheels' Science Spot at the National Night Out on South Ogden Avenue in Columbus.
Pat and Joe from the COSI On Wheels team unpack a critical accesory for our newest science education outreach program, “Astounding Astronomy,” set to debut in September 2011.
By placing liquid nitrogen into a 20oz (or 591.4mL) soda bottle and then allowing the liquid nitrogen to warm up to room temperature, the air pressure builds up and launches the bottle up into the sky. The picture were taken by the Eiffel Tower for Math and Science Days at Kings Island.
COSI On Wheels 