Comments on: Colorado Science Teacher of the Year http://www.stevespangler.com/teaching-moments/colorado-science-teacher-of-the-year/ Making Science Education Fun Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:12:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Annie http://www.stevespangler.com/teaching-moments/colorado-science-teacher-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-1174 Annie Thu, 20 Apr 2006 01:39:54 +0000 http://www.stevespangler.com/?p=168#comment-1174 Yesterday was really fun with Steve he taught us about gravity and inertia. At first I had no idea what they meant but Steve explained inertia and force. Inertia is when something stays in place and wont move until someone or something moves it, gravity is when pressure is pushing against an object holding objects in place. On the launch pad we slid the rocket over the tube, the rocket didn't move until Steve released the 30 pounds air. The launch was very exiting. First, I placed my rocket on the launch pad. Second, Steve released the air and lift off! My rocket went higher than farther, though my rocket didn't get first I still beat a lot of people. The three first place winners had super light rockets, and really sturdy wing designs. The people whose rocket didn't do so well didn't make sturdy cardboard wings or they just covered the rocket with duck tape. If I could fly my rocket again I would definitely not so much duck tape. I also think I had a leak on the nose. Later the whole 4th grade got together and the top three from each class raced again. They were all very light and sturdy and went far. Our class won 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place, and we got a science kit. Today was SUPER FUN!!!!!! Yesterday was really fun with Steve he taught us about gravity and inertia. At first I had no idea what they meant but Steve explained inertia and force. Inertia is when something stays in place and wont move until someone or something moves it, gravity is when pressure is pushing against an object holding objects in place. On the launch pad we slid the rocket over the tube, the rocket didn’t move until Steve released the 30 pounds air.

The launch was very exiting. First, I placed my rocket on the launch pad. Second, Steve released the air and lift off! My rocket went higher than farther, though my rocket didn’t get first I still beat a lot of people. The three first place winners had super light rockets, and really sturdy wing designs. The people whose rocket didn’t do so well didn’t make sturdy cardboard wings or they just covered the rocket with duck tape. If I could fly my rocket again I would definitely not so much duck tape. I also think I had a leak on the nose. Later the whole 4th grade got together and the top three from each class raced again. They were all very light and sturdy and went far. Our class won 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place, and we got a science kit. Today was SUPER FUN!!!!!!

]]> By: Jordan http://www.stevespangler.com/teaching-moments/colorado-science-teacher-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-1173 Jordan Thu, 20 Apr 2006 01:27:28 +0000 http://www.stevespangler.com/?p=168#comment-1173 Have you ever launched a rocket and it crashed? Well, I have! In fact, it even broke in half. Boom! Snap! Crash! The rocket went down. On April 19, 2006, I got to launch my rocket with the help of Steve Spangler. I attend Wilder Elementary and their field is pretty big. My rocket did not even go half the distance of the field -- even with thirty pounds of air pressure going through my rocket. Can you believe it? Well, you should because that is what happened. My classes' rockets were great. The top three rockets were Elizabeth's, Rachel's, and Khaki's. Their rockets were cool. I wish I had more time but I gotta go. Oh yeah, I forgot, the other half of my rocket went into the middle of the street. Now I really have to go. Oh, not yet! If I could make this rocket any better, I would add another wing. Now it is really time to go, I'm serious! Have you ever launched a rocket and it crashed? Well, I have! In fact, it even broke in half. Boom! Snap! Crash! The rocket went down. On April 19, 2006, I got to launch my rocket with the help of Steve Spangler. I attend Wilder Elementary and their field is pretty big. My rocket did not even go half the distance of the field — even with thirty pounds of air pressure going through my rocket. Can you believe it? Well, you should because that is what happened. My classes’ rockets were great. The top three rockets were Elizabeth’s, Rachel’s, and Khaki’s. Their rockets were cool. I wish I had more time but I gotta go. Oh yeah, I forgot, the other half of my rocket went into the middle of the street. Now I really have to go. Oh, not yet! If I could make this rocket any better, I would add another wing. Now it is really time to go, I’m serious!

]]> By: Louise Kulaga http://www.stevespangler.com/teaching-moments/colorado-science-teacher-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-1172 Louise Kulaga Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:16:30 +0000 http://www.stevespangler.com/?p=168#comment-1172 I have been doing a similar experiment for a few years. However, I use it in a controlled experiment unit, so our procedure is a little more precise. One of my students had an idea to invert the rocket, instead of launching the cap. This worked really well. It was much easier to measure the height of the cannister instead of the cap. We actually count blocks on the wall to determine the height of each flight. So, spotting the much larger cannister made our observations easier...and probably more accurate. We found out that 10 mL of water consistantly launches the rocket the highest. I love your web site!!! Great ideas. Thanks, Louise Kulaga Gurrie Middle School LaGrange, Illinois I have been doing a similar experiment for a few years. However, I use it in a controlled experiment unit, so our procedure is a little more precise. One of my students had an idea to invert the rocket, instead of launching the cap.

This worked really well. It was much easier to measure the height of the cannister instead of the cap. We actually count blocks on the wall to determine the height of each flight. So, spotting the much larger cannister made our observations easier…and probably more accurate. We found out that 10 mL of water consistantly launches the rocket the highest.

I love your web site!!! Great ideas.

Thanks,
Louise Kulaga
Gurrie Middle School
LaGrange, Illinois

]]> By: Julie Owen http://www.stevespangler.com/teaching-moments/colorado-science-teacher-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-1171 Julie Owen Fri, 30 Dec 2005 10:42:09 +0000 http://www.stevespangler.com/?p=168#comment-1171 Hi We work in the UK and would like to contact Shannon Koppenhafer about her work, could you possibly send me her email address Many thanks Julie Owen Hi

We work in the UK and would like to contact Shannon Koppenhafer about her work, could you possibly send me her email address

Many thanks

Julie Owen

]]>