4-H
National Youth Science Day experiment combines cars, calculators and cell
phones to show how physics principles influence a pressing problem among U.S.
teens
Baton Rouge, LA – Youth in
East Baton Rouge Parish will join hundreds of thousands of youth across the
world in leading the eighth annual 4-H National Youth Science Day (4-H NYSD)
experiment. This year’s experiment, called ‘Motion Commotion,’ will combine a
speeding car collision and a distracted driving demonstration in a simulated
activity that investigates the physical and human factors of motion.
Over 100 students from Southern University Laboratory
and Park Ridge Academic Magnet Schools will conduct the two-part ‘Motion
Commotion’ experiment from 9:30 a.m. – noon on October 7, 2015 at the Southern
University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 181 B. A. Little Drive.
The students will use every day materials – including a toy car, modeling clay,
ruler, calculator and a cell phone – to explore physics in the real-world.
In the first phase of the experiment, youth will
construct a simulated runway to analyze the speed, momentum and kinetic energy
of a car in motion, and will explore the science behind the car’s collisions.
In the second phase, they will lead an experiment that uses the same physics
principles to demonstrate the consequences of distracted driving. This will
include the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office’s driving simulator which gives youth
first-hand experience on the dangers of texting and driving.
“It is important for teens to learn basic concepts
related to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and how the
subjects can be related to driving,” said Tiffany Wilkerson-Franklin, Project
and Science Day Event Coordinator at the SU Ag Center.
“As inexperienced drivers, learning about the
importance of eliminating distractions on the highway could save their lives or
someone else’s. We must raise awareness and the National Youth Science Day is a
great step forward to link youth with fun, educational opportunities,” added
Wilkerson-Franklin.
“I participated in the 4-H National Youth Science Day
four years ago with the SU Ag Center and had a great time learning about how to
clean up waste and spills, which was directly related to the BP oil spill here
in Louisiana,” said Torianna Franklin. “The experiments are really cool! I
can’t wait to try out ‘Motion Commotion’ this year.”
4-H NYSD is the world’s largest, youth-led science
experiment. The national day is dedicated to engaging kids with science through
a hands-on, interactive learning experience that gets youth excited about
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The event also
spotlights the many ways youth in East Baton Rouge Parish are engaging in 4-H Science
programs year-round.
The
2015 activity was designed by Oregon State University Cooperative Extension in
partnership with Vernier Software & Technology and selected as the winning
experiment for the eighth annual 4-H NYSD. The event’s national sponsors are
Hughes (HughesNet satellite Internet), Lockheed Martin and U.S. Cellular.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment