By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
There are certain subjects that lend themselves to children better than others. English, for example, is an easily presented subject through storytelling. Subjects such as science or math, however, can be harder to get kids excited about.
This is where Science Tellers comes in. Created in 2004, this group combines storytelling and science to create an exciting, interactive experience for kids up to fourteen years old.
This past Wednesday, the Westwood Public Library hosted a Science Teller. The room was packed with children and parents alike, and the energy of Eric, the presenter, was palpable – it spread throughout the room. Eric did a number of experiments with dry ice, a particularly appealing and enticing phenomenon to kids.
“Does dry ice melt? No, when you heat up dry ice it goes from a solid to a gas. In science we call this sublimation,” Eric said. “When dry ice is in this state, it’s the same temperature as the air in the room. Since it is the same temperature as the air in the room, it is so safe you can poor it on your head!”
Everything Eric presented was done with energy and excitement, and it was impossible not to feel similarly about his experiments. “Today we are going to do science experiments with dry ice and more as I tell you the story of ‘Dragons and Dreams,’” Eric began. He started his story, explaining how two kids escaped from a castle, and saw something fly over their heads and head towards the castle. He stopped so that he could do an experiment to demonstrate what it was like to see something fly by.
“Right here I have my oldest piece of equipment, it’s called a FUJI film canister, and if you don’t know what this is, ask your great-grandparents,” Eric joked. His presentation catered to the parents as well as to the children in the audience.
After placing dry ice into the film canister, the top flew off, much to the awe and excitement of those in the room. Those in attendance were engaged the entire time.
Science Tellers proves that science can be exciting for people of all ages, and has found an ingenious way to make it so.
