Your ultimate rocketry resource on the net
 

Welcome to our rocketry Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

Article #233: Houston Schools Students Get Hands-on Experience At Space Center

(Browse for more articles)

 
NASAs Johnson Space Center Houston Space Alliance, who volunteered as
recently hosted a two-day BP Physics mentors for the two-day experience. The
Challenge for 886 Houston schools Houston schools students were amazed to
students, mostly juniors and seniors, learn how math and science can be applied
with 800 more students expected to to their everyday lives.
attend. The math and science students As exciting as the two-day challenge was,
either made their own rockets that would the height of excitement came during a
be launched outside at the Space Center tour of the Space Center for the Houston
or conducted other experiments inside. schools students. Bill Nye, known as the
For those Houston schools students, who science guy, was on hand to meet the
made their own rockets, they got the full students, many of which he hopes to see
astronaut experience as most rocket pursue a career in science, math or
launchings were scrubbed due to inclement engineering. Nye hosted an educational
weather. Unfortunately, the weather program on PBS from 1992 to 1998 and is
quickly turned cold and drizzly, an icon to many science and math students
canceling the launch of most rockets. even today. He was instrumental in the
Two Houston schools freshmen, however, creation of the popular CBS NUMB3RS
did get their rockets launched with television series, where a math genius
different results. Joshua Hawkins, from professor uses mathematical models to
Booker T. Washington High School, had a assist the FBI in solving crimes. For
successful launch and was thrilled to see years, Nye pitched ideas to television
how high his rocket soared. His friend, executives for programs that would give
Keeland Bryant, had a foot-long rocket todays children the incentive to enter
made of plastic and cardboard. It science and math careers, connecting the
unfortunately burned during the launch dots between these fields and the real
good thing no astronauts were aboard. world. At age 51, he still annually
While the rocket launches were either applies to NASA for entry into its
launching or getting scrubbed outdoors, astronaut program.
other students were conducting a metal At the Space Center, Nye encouraged the
ball drop experiment in order to measure Houston schools students to change the
the mass of the Earth. The experiment was world, telling them people of all ages
chosen to allow the Houston schools like science. They should learn it,
students to work with straight-line because it is fun!
graphs and become more familiar with The two-day event was designed to
Isaac Newtons universal law of gravity, interest students in the fields of math
as well as learn several mathematical and science. Students from across the
calculations taught by employees from Houston schools district participated.
NASA, BP America, Boeing and the United






1- A- B- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- 23- 24- 25- 26- 27- 28- 29- 30- 31- 32- 33- 34- 35- 36- 37- 38- 39- 40- 41- 42- 43- 44- 45- 46- 47- 48- 49- 50- 51- 52- 53- 54- 55- 56- 57- 58-