Gears--Kid-Tested, Museum-Approved

A D D E N D U M GGears—Kid-Tested,ears—Kid-Tested, MMuseum-Approveduseum-Approved When children are asked what they reach coordinator. “Teachers can also want to be when they grow up, the bring their students to the Discovery answers are undoubtedly diverse. Some Center for a special field trip featuring immediately respond with doctor, law- a class about simple machines.” yer or firefighter while others take a The most exciting revelation might more creative approach with answers just be how interested the kids seem to like spy, princess or superhero. The be once they start work on the exhibits. Addendum Staff has yet to come across “Our youngest visitors get a kick out of a youngster that seems committed to a watching the gears on our Gear Wall career in gear manufacturing. and realize they caused the movement,” The Discovery Center Museum, Bernd says. “We often see children located in Rockford, IL is hoping to or whole families working together, change this. With 250 hands-on exhib- adjusting gears, to make everything on its, a planetarium, a news studio and the wall move.” an outdoor science park, the children’s In addition, the museum takes pro- museum has a little bit of everything to grams on the road to schools, daycares, educate young minds and highlight the libraries and park districts that focus on appeal of science, manufacturing and gears and pulleys. engineering careers. “In our outreach programs, children Two exhibits, particularly, hold love experimenting with the sequence interest to those reading this magazine. and combination of gears. I often hear The Gears Gears Gears exhibit allows groans of protest when it’s time to clean visitors to start a set of gears in motion up and move on,” Bernd says. Visitors can arrange the gears on the and observe how the gears change speed, Along with gears and pulleys, the Gear Wall to spin a propeller (courtesy direction and force. The Gear Wall con- museum focuses on engineering and of the Discovery Center Museum). sists of a variety of colorful gears that the benefits for children to get inter- children can arrange properly to spin a ested at an early age. For years, the called “Discover Engineering.” propeller extending above the wall. Discovery Center has collaborated with “This is where we invite local engi- “With both exhibits, visitors can local libraries, colleges and the Illinois neers and businesses that incorporate observe things like how each gear Society of Professional Engineers to engineering and engineering technol- affects the turning direction of the gear celebrate National Engineers Week ogy in the products they produce, for it engages as well as what happens when in February. Activities include bridge what could be described as a hands-on a large gear turns a small gear and vice building competitions, college and high expo for families,” Bernd says. versa,” says Christopher Bernd, out- school career nights and a program This fall the museum is bringing several gear heads to Rockford, includ- ing Grant Imahara and Kari Byron from the Discovery Channel hit show Mythbusters. An electronics wizard, Imahara often makes the robotics for the show while Byron is the resident sculptor and model-maker. The two will be at the museum on Saturday October 3, for a 90-minute discussion focused on audience questions. In the future, the museum plans to continue taking its exhibits on the road and getting the message out on career opportunities in manufacturing and engineering. “If children can understand the pro- cess to produce something, they will likely appreciate the product more,” Bernd says. “And an appreciation of that can lead to curiosity and learning.” For more information on the Discovery Center Museum, visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org. How do gears change speed, direction and force? Children learn first hand at the Gears Gears Gears exhibit (courtesy of the Discovery Center Museum). 96 GEARTECHNOLOGY September/October 2009 www.geartechnology.com.

Load more