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Houston Schools Students Get Hands-on Experience At Space Center

NASAs Johnson Space Center HoustonSpace Alliance, who volunteered as
recently hosted a two-day BP Physicsmentors for the two-day experience. The
Challenge for 886 Houston schoolsHouston schools students were amazed to
students, mostly juniors and seniors,learn how math and science can be
with 800 more students expected toapplied to their everyday lives.
attend. The math and science studentsAs exciting as the two-day challenge
either made their own rockets that wouldwas, the height of excitement came
be launched outside at the Space Centerduring a tour of the Space Center for
or conducted other experiments inside.the Houston schools students. Bill Nye,
For those Houston schools students, whoknown as the science guy, was on hand to
made their own rockets, they got themeet the students, many of which he
full astronaut experience as most rockethopes to see pursue a career in science,
launchings were scrubbed due tomath or engineering. Nye hosted an
inclement weather. Unfortunately, theeducational program on PBS from 1992 to
weather quickly turned cold and drizzly,1998 and is an icon to many science and
canceling the launch of most rockets.math students even today. He was
Two Houston schools freshmen, however,instrumental in the creation of the
did get their rockets launched withpopular CBS NUMB3RS television series,
different results. Joshua Hawkins, fromwhere a math genius/professor uses
Booker T. Washington High School, had amathematical models to assist the FBI in
successful launch and was thrilled tosolving crimes. For years, Nye pitched
see how high his rocket soared. Hisideas to television executives for
friend, Keeland Bryant, had a foot-longprograms that would give todays children
rocket made of plastic and cardboard. Itthe incentive to enter science and math
unfortunately burned during the launchcareers, connecting the dots between
good thing no astronauts were aboard.these fields and the real world. At age
While the rocket launches were either51, he still annually applies to NASA
launching or getting scrubbed outdoors,for entry into its astronaut program.
other students were conducting a metalAt the Space Center, Nye encouraged the
ball drop experiment in order to measureHouston schools students to change the
the mass of the Earth. The experimentworld, telling them people of all ages
was chosen to allow the Houston schoolslike science. They should learn it,
students to work with straight-linebecause it is fun!
graphs and become more familiar withThe two-day event was designed to
Isaac Newtons universal law of gravity,interest students in the fields of math
as well as learn several mathematicaland science. Students from across the
calculations taught by employees fromHouston schools district participated.
NASA, BP America, Boeing and the United



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