On Friday, I was so pleased to be able to return to one of my favorite days of the year, High-Interest Day at Brookfield Elementary School. This is a day where I have been able to bring the concepts of physics to k-5 graders. You may be asking yourself, "Elementary students doing physics?" YES! Not just experimenting, but understanding the concepts behind the physics of electricity and sound. This is a very special day I have had the opportunity to be involved in since 2017. So, how are we able to bring the concepts of electricity and sound traditionally taught to high school 11th and 12th graders to the elementary level? There are a few keys 1) make it a hands-on experience 2) remove the mathematical calculations and make it practical. In the past, I had the luck of bringing a handful of my physics students with me to guide the elementary students through the concepts that they had learned over the course of the year. But in my new role as a Teaching and Learning Speciali
I finally finished Stranger Things on Netflix over the weekend and I highly recommend it to any child or the 80's. It's a mix between classic Stephen Spielberg and Stephen King. One of my favorite laugh out loud moments involved the kids' science teacher. Here is an exchange between one of the kids and his science teacher Mr. Clarke. Mr. Clarke : Hello? Dustin Henderson : Mr Clarke, it's Dustin. Mr. Clarke : Dustin? Is everything okay? Dustin Henderson : Ye-yeah, I just, I, I have a... science question. Mr. Clarke : It's ten o'clock on Saturday. Why don't we pick this up on... Dustin Henderson : Do you know anything about sensory deprivation tanks? Specifically how to build one? Mr. Clarke : Sensory deprivation...? Wh-what is this for? Dustin Henderson : Fun. Mr. Clarke : Okay. Well. Why don't we talk about it Monday, after school. Okay?... Dustin Henderson : You always say we should never stop being curious, to always open any