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NASAs Johnson Space Center Houston recently hosted a two-day BP Physics Challenge for 886 Houston schools students, mostly juniors & seniors, with 800 more students expected to attend. The math & science students either made their own rockets that would be launched outside at the Space Center or conducted other experiments inside.

For all those Houston schools students, who made their own rockets, they got the full astronaut experience as most rocket launchings were scrubbed due to inclement weather. Unfortunately, the weather rapidly turned cold & drizzly, canceling the launch of most rockets.

Two Houston schools freshmen, how ever, did get their rockets launched with different results. Joshua Hawkins, from Booker T. Washington High School, had a successful launch & was thrilled to see how high his rocket soared. His friend, Keeland Bryant, had a foot-long rocket made of plastic & cardboard. It unfortunately burned during the launch good thing no astronauts were aboard.

While the rocket launches were either launching or getting scrubbed outdoors, other students were conducting a metal ball drop experiment in order to measure the mass of the Earth. The experiment was chosen to allow the Houston schools students to work with straight-line graphs & become more familiar with Isaac Newtons universal law of gravity, as well as learn many mathematical calculations taught by employees from NASA, BP America, Boeing & the United Space Alliance, who volunteered as mentors for the two-day experience. The Houston schools students were amazed to learn how math & science can be applied to their everyday lives.

As exciting as the two-day challenge was, the height of excitement came during a tour of the Space Center for the Houston schools students. Bill Nye, known as the science guy, was on hand to meet the students, many of which he hopes to see pursue a career in science, math or engineering. Nye hosted an educational program on PBS from 1992 to 1998 & is an icon to many science & math students even today. He was instrumental in the creation of the popular CBS NUMB3RS television series, where a math genius/professor uses mathematical models to assist the FBI in solving crimes. For years, Nye pitched ideas to television executives for programs that would give todays children the incentive to enter science & math careers, connecting the dots between these fields & the real world. At age 51, he still annually applies to NASA for entry into its astronaut program.

At the Space Center, Nye encouraged the Houston schools students to change the world, telling them people of all ages like science. They should learn it, because it’s fun!

The two-day event was designed to interest students in the fields of math & science. And so… Students from across the Houston schools district participated.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public & private K-12 schools. For more information on Houston schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/texas/houston/index.html

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