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School Projects

School Projects

Harnessing the Wind – an interview: “On a summer trip through the prairies of Texas, Rachel Pizzolatto noticed the turbulence caused by her dad’s car.  And then she thought that with hundreds of other cars travelling the interstates, a source of potential energy was just waiting to be harvested. But how to do it?  Thus began a 2 year (and counting) exploration – experimenting with designs and different material on how to accomplish that goal. It would turn into a school science fair project titled “Can a Modified Windmill Generate Electricity in an Interstate Traffic Setting?”

harnessing the wind

Far from the ubiquitous Plaster-of-Paris volcano or Styrofoam ball solar system, Pizzolato (a 7th grader at John Curtis Christian School) built a Plexiglas tower which encased turbines constructed of K+S Metals brass rod, Bud Nosen balsawood, and Taskboard.” – – Jeff Junker

Model Bridge Design by Garrett Boon: “Bridge designers must watch for torsion and try to reduce it as much as possible.”

Launch! by Dave Protti: “Students realize the sum of their efforts and the laws of physics when they witness their rockets accelerating skyward on launch day, not to mention the emotions involved in ownership and the risks of actually flying their creation.”

Squeeze Play by Daniel McLean: “Three young men and one young lady who are all A or B students have painted over 400 individual model soldiers and each soldiers individual equipment. They also designed the base for the battle.

Terrible Swift Sword by Chuck Thiedel: “So the teacher has spoken. You need to construct a diorama, or small scene, for your history class. Do not panic. Many people have done this before, and have come through with satisfying results. These hints will make the task easier, and your experience will be much more enjoyable. So all that is needed is a good imagination, and the willingness to learn about the subject matter.”

Build a Fast Pinewood Derby Car by Joe Gargiulo: “First, you need to reduce friction. Friction is the enemy of speed. Reducing friction, increases speed.”