Samantha Saville
The Paw Print
Science Saturdays, headed by Randy Emmons, is designed to give kids a more hands-on relationship with science. Since the education system is so limited, kids do not always have the opportunity to become interested in science. This program shows them how science can be applied to real life and, amazingly, it tends to hold kid’s attention spans for two and a half hours instead of the traditional two hours.
The program on Saturday mornings is now being split into two separate groups. The morning group starting at 9 a.m. is for younger children who want to apply science in a more hands-on way. The afternoon course for older kids shows them how to make calculations, how to use science, and then allows them participate in the activities
Last Saturday the kids got to explore the planetarium and learn about the constellations. First, the participants sat down and learned the names of bright stars like Betelguice and Sirius. They then learned how to draw and identify four major constellations. They also learned how each constellation was oriented in relation to the other constellations.
The students then went to the planetarium and got to look at the night sky to identity the constellations they had just learned about. The participants were exceedingly excited about this experience and expanded their vocabulary to include several scientifically advanced words.
The Colorado Robot Challenge will be held Saturday, April 10 at the Sand Dunes National Park in the lower parking lot at 9 a.m. This is a NASA sponsored event and people of all ages are welcome.
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