Friday, December 29, 2017

Edgerton Center at MIT: Laser Mazes

This is a link I was sent last year which I've just now checked out.  The Edgerton Center offers a number of different workshops.  Teachers bring their students there.  This workshop comes under the heading of Optics and Photography.  It's called "Laser Mazes."


Laser Mazes
11 years and up.
Teams of students are challenged to direct a laser beam through a wooden maze using mirrors. Students begin by experimenting with using mirrors to hit a bull’s-eye with laser light. 
They review concepts of angles and hypothesize about how light reflects from a surface. They determine that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
Using this knowledge, they first model and then implement the path of the laser light through the different mazes.

NOTE:    This workshop teaches kids about light and the angle of incidence and angle of reflection, an aspect of geometry/physics that I first learned about in a wonderful video on hockey.  Learning about math and science principles through their applications in motion, light and sound is a path to really getting the big picture. IMHO.  I couldn't put that video here, but here's a link to it.  You'll find what I'm talking about around 4 minutes 30 seconds:

Science of NHL Hockey:  Hockey Geometry 

All these sports videos are terrific, put together by the National Science Foundation, in partnership with NBC Learn and NBC Sports.

Kathy


Saturday, December 16, 2017

South Shore Science Festival IV -- Sat., April 21, 2018

Planning is under way now for the fourth South Shore Science Festival.  On October 20 we invited volunteers from SSSF III to a get-together at which we awarded certificates of appreciation to the people who helped to make it such a success last April.  A Power Point presentation outlined our plans and needs for SSSF IV.  You can view the presentation at our website, www.southshorescience.org. where there are lots of photos of the festival.




Tuesday, November 28, 2017

NFL FOOTBALL EXHIBIT (temporary) .... Boston Museum of Science


The Boston Museum of Science has an NFL exhibit called Gridiron Glory that runs through January 7, 2018.  This is from the museum's website on the science that's covered.  I also found that Chronicle on WCVB pointed out that the exhibit itself does not get into the problem of brain concussions, but the museum has a lecture each day on this subject.

More to Explore in Gridiron Glory

What does it take to play football? Join Museum educators for the drop-in, hands-on activity of the day and explore some of the science and technology behind the game.
Activities are scheduled most days. Please view the daily schedulefor scheduled start times. Activities are available for 2 hours from the start time, and a typical stay is 5 to 20 minutes.  
(Here's the link: www.mos.org/exhibits/gridiron-glory)
Activity topics vary from day to day. Stop by the Information Desk for more details about scheduled activity topics for the day; morning program information is usually available by 10:15 am; afternoon programs may be updated after 1:15 pm.
Current activities in rotation include:

  • Footballs Under Pressure How do balloons, marshmallows, and, yes, footballs react under different amounts of air pressure? Use a bell jar to investigate the surprising effects of air pressure.
  • Arms Width Tall How does your arm span compare to your height? Measure yourself, identify patterns in the data, and hypothesize about how body proportions could support a professional athlete's performance.
  • Footballs in Flight How do you throw a touchdown pass? How do you kick a field goal? Investigate a variety of techniques for sending a football flying by controlling and testing variables on a miniature football launching machine.
  • Collision Course How can sports equipment protect athletes from getting injured? Explore collision physics and investigate how different materials can lessen impacts.
_____________________________________________________

To save admission cost, go to your public library and reserve a pass for the day you want to go.  Let us know what you liked best!

Kathy

Monday, September 25, 2017

NEEDED: SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS ON SPORT SCIENCE



SCIENCE FAIR IDEAS FROM SCIENCE BUDDIES   ScienceBuddies Logo Wht 200px.jpg


For your science fair project this year, think of something that you really like to do. 
Do you like sports and games? 
There's a whole world out there waiting for you to discover the science behind what you love to do. 
Understanding the science can help you to play a better game. 
Here is a list I took out of Science Buddies; these are found under the Physical Science / Sports Science category. 
Just looking through the topics will give you other ideas, too. 
In their website they're rated Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced; the things you need to do the project are included.

Also -- Please see my blog entry on the Power of 10 words.  These will direct you to some basic concepts in physics and geometry for motion, sound, and light.  I think it's a good starting point.  You may find you know more about physics and geometry than you think you do.

MORE TOPICS UNDER PHYSICAL SCIENCE IN www.sciencebuddies.org:

Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics                                    Physics

                                          Music – 
Since I began this over ten years ago, I've become interested in the physics of music and the arts, too. (And science in stories!)

Invitation:  For any kids who are close enough to Quincy, Mass. / South Shore area, we would be interested in considering your project to be one of the exhibits at the 4th South Shore Science Festival. (www.southshorescience.org) We're looking for exhibits that are interactive, that is, the people who come to your table will be able to participate in some way. We can help you with that.

And for kids who live anywhere and everywhere:  Help me spread the word that this is such a great way to get a start in understanding physics -- and geometry. Thank you!

Look forward to hearing from you!
Kathy


Skipping Science: An experiment in jump rope lengths

Jumping Distance

The Brain-Body Connection: Can exercise really make our brains work better?

Think Fast! (reaction time)

Bouncing Basketballs: How much energy does dribbling take?

Drag Racing in the Water

Field Goal! The science behind a perfect football kick

How Quickly Does a Tennis Ball Lose Its Bounce?

Popping an Ollie: How skateboarders + physics = A really cool trick

Speed Quest

The Biomechanics of Pitching

Under Pressure: Ball bouncing dynamics

Aerodynamics of a Football

Basketball Physics: Where does a bouncing ball's energy go?

Basketball: Will you bank the shot?

Football Field Goals: Going the distance

Heart Health: How does heart rate change with exercise?

How Do Under-Inflated Tires Affect the Difficulty of Riding a Bike?

How Far Can You Throw (or Kick) a Ball?

How Fast Can You Shoot a Hockey Puck?

How High Can You Throw a Baseball? A Tennis Ball? A Football? A Golf Ball?

Measuring Concussion Risk in Football and Other Contact Sports

Nothing But Net: The science of shooting hoops

Physics of Vibrations

Racing to Win That Checkered Flag: How do gases help?

She Shoots, She Scores! How does hockey stick flex affect accuracy?

Soccer: Geometry of goal scoring

The Physics of Cheating in Baseball

The Physics of Follow-Through

Back and Forth to Go Forward: A snake on wheels?

Balancing Act: Finding your center of gravity

Baseball Bat Debate: What's better, wood or aluminum?

Cold Pack Chemistry: Where does the heat go?

Golf Clubs, Loft Angle, and Distance: The science of hitting

Power Kicks: The physics of martial arts

Skateboard Extremes: Which wheels are best for speed and turns?

Skiing and Friction:  How does ski wax affect the sliding friction of skis?

Tee Time:  How does tee height affect driving distance?

Tee Time: How fast is your golf swing?

The Physics of Baseball and Hit Charts

Tightening the Turns in Speed Skating:  Lessons in Centripetal Force & Balance

A Cure for Hooks and Slides?  Asymmetric dimple patterns and Golf Ball Flight

Aerodynamics and Hockey: Does the force of drag have an effect on the distance the puck will travel?

Are more expensive golf balls worth it?

Basketball: The geometry of banking a basketball

Crossed Up:  Does crossed hand/eye dominance affect basketball shooting percentage?

Electrolyte Challenge: Orange juice vs sports drink

Football: Punting

Paintball Ballistics

Playing the Angles: The physics of balls bouncing off of surfaces

The Science of Spin: How does spin affect the trajectory of a kicked soccer ball?

Skating and Angular Momentum

The Science of Spin: A baseball pendulum

Which Team Batting Statistic Predicts Run Production Best?


Golf Clubs, Loft Angle and Distance

Thursday, September 21, 2017

WHAT IF TEACHERS WERE TREATED LIKE -- PRO ATHLETES ?! Think of it!

Hi!  I read this article in Readers Digest and found it online and wanted to share it with you.  

Food for thought, huh?! ....   Kathy


What If Teachers Were Treated Just Like Pro Athletes?

Imagine a world in which educators are as respected and revered as professional athletes? 

Sketch comics Key and Peele did.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Basketball Math and Geometry from WikiHow

Just discovered WikiHow.  Very clear instructions.  Thought you'd like this one on basketball.

http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Math-and-Geometry-in-Basketball

Thursday, May 4, 2017

SCIENCE WEEK 2017, St. Agatha School: Torque

I did this lesson with three 3rd grade classes.  In retrospect, I decided that in the future I would leave out centripetal force and angular momentum, as Science Week classes are short with no follow-up by me.  It would be better to introduce those two forces in separate classes.  Or wait to teach them to kids in higher elementary grades.

LESSON PLAN: HAVING FUN WITH TORQUE 

Lead-In
Who jump ropes, hula hoops, or dances? Is that science? Why? Why not?

Supplies
a globe; chalk or markers / I'll bring ropes, hoops, leaflets, activity sheets

Procedure
A. Introduce new vocabulary:
axis of rotation – torque – centripetal force – angular momentum

  1. Have someone do a demonstration on the hula hoop.
    Notice it turn in a circle
    * Show the globe: turns on its axis of rotation                      Pronounce
    * You are the axis of rotation, too, when you hula hoop.
  2. Have someone do a demonstration of jump roping.
    * See it also turn on its axis of rotation.
    * This turning force is called torque.                                    Pronounce
  3. When the force heads to the center and seeks it out
    (like Hide & Seek), it is called centripetal force.                 Pronounce
  4. Have you heard of momentum? What do you think it means?
    * When you're running at a slow speed, you can stop quickly -- because you have less momentum.
    * When you're running at a fast speed, it takes longer to stop -- because you have more momentum.
    * With momentum, we usually think of moving in a straight line, but you can run around in a circle, too.
    * What does a circle have lots of? Angles. (Illustrate on board.)
    * Called angular momentum (like a revolving door).            Pronounce
B. Free play, hoops and ropes Ask individuals to explain the terms.                 Play The Twist.   You rotate back and forth (like a washing machine).

Summarize
Pass out the art activity sheet, and draw a cartoon of one of these activities.

Homework

Leaflets*. Tell your friend, family, anyone you want about what you learned today.

*  The leaflets for hula hooping and jump roping can be found elsewhere in this blog.
____________________________________________________________


THE ART ACTIVITY:


ANNOUNCING: A NEW CARTOON!
Called “Twists and Turns”

axis of rotation         centripetal force

angular momentum                              torque
YOU are the cartoonist!
Directions:
  1. At the bottom of the page, draw a picture of you and someone you know hula hooping --- or jump roping --- or dancing The Twist.
  2. Now you have the beginning of a cartoon.
    Put what you say in a balloon like this:                                                                                                        NOTE:   On the printout:
                                                        Draw a simple cartoon here  
  1. Then use one of the science terms in the box above to tell your friend about the science. Write the conversation in the balloons.
Twists and Turns                                     by                                                 























Kathy Dullea Hogan
Gateway to Science: Sports and Games
http://sportscience-kathy.blogspot.com

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Report on the South Shore Science Festival -- The Song

I was really happy to be able to let people know as we opened the science festival that the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Museum of Science announced this month their collaboration to teach the science of baseball.  Around the same time that I heard about this, I made plans to have Li'l Miss Sofia Hurley, 10, of Quincy sing at the opening of our festival.  What could she sing, I wondered. 

About a week later I listened to a CD of the Boston Pops Orchestra playing baseball songs, and of course, Take Me Out to the Ball Game was one of them.  While I was listening to it, I thought: I could adapt that!  Here is the result:


TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME     by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer
(Take Me to Science Festivals!)             by Kathy Dullea Hogan

Sung by Miss Sofia Hurley (Li'l Miss Sofia) of Quincy, Mass. 
at the third South Shore Science Festival, Quincy, on April 22, 2017.

1) Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out to the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks
I don't care if I never get back.

For it's root, root, root for the home team.
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out
At the old ball game.

2) Take me to science festivals,
Take me for science fun:
Legos, jump ropes, and biotech --
I don't care if I never get back!

For it's string-can phones and 3D print,
If I can't go, it's a shame.
For it's 1, 2, 3 motion laws
At the science festival !

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song 
by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.

The Museum of Science had sent someone to our festival who ran a table, too.  Later she asked me if they could use my song at the museum.  Of course I said yes!

I'll add more later.  Just wanted to share the song with y'all!