STAO 2012 Recapture the Wonder

I’m leaving today for the Doubletree Hotel on Dixon Road by Pearson International Airport for the Science Teachers Association of Ontario (STAO) Annual Conference. Educators from all over Canada usually attend. Jeremy Hanson (Canadian Astronaut) will be speaking on Saturday morning. I can’t wait to hear him. I’ll try to line up an interview with him. The conference runs from Nov 15 – 17, 2012.

I am doing two presentations. The first is “Building Balsawood Gliders to Scale” primarily for Grade 6 teachers. The second is entitled, “Taylor’s Toys” which is also the title of my book. I am currently working on the second draft. My second workshop will have educators doing an experiment on the multiplication of force. This will be followed by me teaching them how to build a pneumatically controlled Canadarm. And if there’s time, we’ll build a McDigger. The McDigger is a front-end loader using a medium sized McDonalds® French fries container. The construction of both of these toys appears in my book.

When I am not presenting, I’ll take in a couple of speakers, but most of my free time will be spent at the Web Site Booth. It is here that we show educators how to find resources of interest to them and how to navigate through our web site.

An attention-getter is the iron balls. We wrap one of the balls in aluminum foil and we strike the balls past each other. The result is a huge spark and a very loud noise. It’s an exothermic reaction and loads of fun.

I’ll post again following the conference.

Balloon Powered Hovercraft

Balloon Powered Hovercraft

Using the materials listed, make a hovercraft and try to make it travel as far as possible.

Materials:

1 old CD

1 wooden spool

1 12” party balloon

4 pscs 10 cm x 2 cm piece of duct tape

Thin card (if needed)

Construction:

1. Take 1 piece of tape and attach half of it lengthwise to the base of the spool.

2. Centre the spool over the hole of the CD and tape the spool to the CD.

3. Repeat Step 2 with each piece of tape making two strips parallel on opposite sides of the spool and the other 2 parallell at 90 degrees to the first pair so that the base of the spool in securely taped to the cd with no air leaks.

4. Inflate the balloon to stretch it somewhat. Let the air out. Attach it over the wooden spool.



Testing:

1. Inflate the balloon by blowing through the base of the cd. Squeeze the base of the balloon to hold the air in while you inhale before blowing more air into the balloon.

2. Gently push it along a smooth surface.

Question:

How far did it go in cm (m)? (Intent: To demonstrate Newton’s 3rd Law of Action (air coming out of the balloon in a downward motion) and Reaction (the cd moving up in the opposite direction). Newton said that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.  The distance the disc travels is related to thrust and friction.

Extension:

1. How can you make the balloon cover a greater distance? (Possible Answers: Use larger balloons, use smoother surfaces, cut a straw the length of the spool and put it inside to make the hole narrower and possibly increase the thrust).

2. How can you prevent the balloon from dragging behind once its air is expended? (Possible Answer: Place a thin card around the neck of the balloon to elevate the upper part of the balloon when the air is expended to prevent it from dragging).

Updated by

Stan Taylor

September, 2012 (originally created September, 1998)

Flyby Cancelled

I arrived at Capt. Michael VandenBos School in Whitby today and was extended a warm greeting from Principal Karen Schmidlechner. She introduced me to Capt. Robert Gagnon, Advance and Safety Snowbird Pilot. He informed me that for a flypast over the school, the planes would need 1500 feet. They need a minimum of 500 feet above the flying altitude of 1000 feet for a flyby. Unfortunately the clouds were below 1500 feet and severe weather was heading eastward out of Toronto. The flyby got cancelled.

The day was not lost. Capt. Gagnon and two of his fellow pilots,  went into the classrooms to speak with the students. They also posed with the students for a school picture. Why do they come to the school every year?

They come to honour one of their own, Capt. Michael J. VandenBos, who died in a training exercise in 1998 and for whom the school was named in 2001.

Why do I come to this school? The pilots are facinating and I learn a great deal simply speaking with them.

This is the first time in 10 years that a flyby was cancelled. Here’s hoping for blue skies next year.

Vicky Hipkin, Curiosity

For those of you following Curiosity's progress as it prepared to land on Mars at 1:31 am, Aug. 6th for those of us in Southern Ontario, listen to Vicky Hipkin (CSA) explain Canada's involvement at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOEmmY7H1dg&list=UUdNtqpHlU1pCaVy2wlzxHKQ&index=1&feature=plpp_video

Also learn about Vicky's involvement in the Phoenix Mission to Mars in my published interview with her in Crucible, March, 2011 (www.stao.ca, Resources, Crucible Archives, March, 2011).

For those of you who are not members of STAO, I'll post my interview with her on my blog and and only with Vicky's permission.

National Pride

The Canadian Air and Space Museum housed some of the planes that made our country great. The Avro Arrow, Lancaster Bomber, Big Flapper and the CT-114 Tutor Jet (plane of our famous Snowbirds) are a few of my favourites that were on display. When I visited the museum four years ago and first saw the Avro Arrow, I was struck with awe. It was larger than the pictures of it depict. I asked one of the staff to take a picture of me in front of the Arrow. He did and I've used this picture in my science presentations showing it to about 6000 students to date. Young students did not know that in 1958, Canada had the fastest airplane in the world.


A couple of years ago in December, I taught children how to make balsawood gliders as part of the Museums outreach program. I felt priviledged to be part of the history of this great building.

I wrote to our Prime Minister and our Ontario Premier, only to have my letters passed onto someone else with the promise that someone would get back to me. No one did. The pleas and signatures of so very many Canadians fell upon deaf ears. Our veterans hearts were once again saddened by a government that has its own agenda (4 hockey rinks) instead of preserving our Canadian Aviation History.

When the building that gave birth to so many planes that were flown to buy our freedom against an oppressor is demolished under the wrecking ball, another piece of Canadian history will be lost forever.

The Canadian Air and Space Museum demonstrated Canada in its finest hour. It deserved a better treatment and the kind of respect we Canadians hold dear regarding our national pride.

Science Rendezvous

Yesterday, my grandson Nickolas and I were at the Northumberland Mall in Colbourg, ON as part of the "Malls of Science" for "Science Rendezvous." We used balsawood gliders provided by the Canadian Airforce. On these gliders, using pre-cut 110 lb. card stock, we showed the children to place the ailerons toward the end of the main wing, the elevators mounted on the back of the horizontal stabilizer and closer to near the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder placed at the mid-point of the vertical stabilizer. We taught them roll, pitch and yaw, respectively. We also taught the children who were visiting the mall accompanied by their parents how to make balloon-powered hovercrafts. My grandson learned why I get such joy doing these workshops. He watched the children's eyes open wide when that "WOW" moment occurred. Nick was hooked. He wants to go with me again.

On June 9th, I'll be at at the Oshawa Airport in the terminal building teaching control surfaces on balsawood gliders and we'll have the students also make the balloon hovercrafts.

Science Is Fun

I just love giving science workshops. Each class of students is unique.

This past week was just a blast. On Monday, April 30th I was in Penetanguishene doing a Structures workshop aptly named: "May the Force Be With You." The round trip to the school and home was 299 km. On Tues and Wednesday I did two more workshops on structures. The students do build amazing structures. On Thursday and Friday I was a little closer to home and did two astronomy workshops. Grade 6 students are facinated with anything to do with outer space. What made these two workshops unique was the fact that several students asked for my autograph. It kinda makes you feel important, but more importantly, its a real joy to inspire so many students about the wonders of space.

Science is fun.