Science in the Park, a permanent exhibit opening October 28, puts a new twist on the familiar routine of playing in the park by offering interactive science experiences. Activities on a seesaw and swing set prompt children of all ages to wonder what forces are at work. Visitors experiment with spinning platforms, bicycle wheels and ball slides in the midst of the new exhibit that features a park-like appearance including real gazebos, colorful kites and playful wall murals. The activities allow visitors to freely change experiment variables to put their theories to the test.
Visitors discover the everyday applications of Newton's laws of physics.
This kind of inquiry learning is at the heart of current science education reform activities throughout the United States. In one activity, visitors create a collision, then check the speed before and after the crash. At another activity, visitors explore constant velocity by using a tiny cart and a computer graph to attempt to mimic a variety of patterns. Close by, visitors experiment with balls shot from a ballistic cart moving at various speeds. With such action involved, visitors are less aware that they're actually learning about horizontal and vertical components of velocity.