Above, a Michigan Science Center instructor explained Newton’s Laws of Motion and how it applies to rocket cars he showed YouthQuest students how to build.
FLINT TWP. — Rides on a homemade hovercraft highlighted a visit from the Traveling Science program of the Michigan Science Center in Detroit to Carman-Ainsworth Middle School last Thursday.
“Force and Motion” bought hands-on science activities and lessons to students in the YouthQuest after school program who also spent part of the twohour special event filming personalized Mother’s Day messages that will be set to music and compiled on a DVD, as a take-home gift, according to Mike Fordham, YouthQuest site team leader.
Divided into three groups, the students rotated between the hovercraft rides in the gym to a computer lab for making the Mother’s Day DVD to another classroom where they made rocket cars to learn more about Newton’s Laws of Motion.
Each student also took a quick ride around the gym on a cushion of air aboard a homemade hovercraft made from plywood and a leaf blower.
YouthQuest participants at Carman-Ainsworth Middle School each had a turn riding a homemade hovercraft during a visit from the Michigan Science Center traveling program.
These activities are among many offered by the Traveling program and at the Michigan Science Center in Detroit. For more information, visit their web site at www.mi-sci.org/
Step one in making rocket cars was cutting out car parts from a paper plate.
Step two in making rocket cars was blowing up a balloon and taping it to a straw to make the propeller.
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