If you know kids between the ages of 7 and 12, you know how hard it can be to get them excited about science from a textbook. Children need science to come to life before their eyes. They need to be wowed, and to experience physical phenomena with eyes wide and jaws dropped.
That’s the thinking behind the annual Wonders of Science show, which will again pack Ramsey Auditorium at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory on Sunday, April 6. The show, organized and performed by award-winning high school teachers, is celebrating its 27th year at the lab. Tickets are $4.50 per person.
“This is one of our most exciting events every year,” said Spencer Pasero, an education program leader at Fermilab. “Everyone has their favorite demonstration, but there’s always something new and exciting to look forward to.”
This year’s theme is temperature and energy, and will feature Weird Science, a group of current and retired high school teachers who have been recognized locally and nationally for their ability to engage young minds. Members of the troupe have appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS News and Inside Edition.
Weird Science includes Lee Marek of the University of Illinois at Chicago (formerly of Naperville North High School), Karl Craddock of Fremd High School in Palatine, and Bill Grosser of Oak Park and River Forest high schools. Together, they will demonstrate eye-popping chemical and physical science experiments designed to be both fun and educational.
“We hope kids leave with the sense that science can be fun, and not only can they enjoy it as an experience, but they also can do it,” Pasero said.
The Wonders of Science show is intended for ages 7-12, and Scout troops are welcome. Each family will receive a science kit, which they can use to conduct their own experiments at home. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets may be ordered online athttp://ed.fnal.gov/events/wos. For additional information, call 630-840-5588 or email edreg@fnal.gov.
The mission of the Fermilab Education Office is to strengthen primary- and secondary-school education by using Fermilab resources to improve teaching and learning in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The Education Office serves as a catalyst for improving school curricula and is a resource to schools nationwide.
Fermilab is a Department of Energy national laboratory operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance, LLC. The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the nation, and helps ensure U.S. world leadership across a broad range of scientific disciplines.