March Scientist of the Month: Richard Feynman

That's Dick Fine-Man to you, because Dick Feynman was a very fine man indeed.

YOUTUBE VIDEO COMING UP! KEEP READING!

Feynman grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens. He loved science more than anything, especially if science could help him play jokes on his friends. Never in a mean way, Ms. Miller means. Feynman was all about fun!

As a kid he spent most of his free time taking radios apart and making up new ways to do math. In college Feynman's pranks got bigger. There, he studied physics, the science of how things on Earth move, so he could make explosions and fake trap doors in his house.

Later Feynman wrote a lot of papers about electricity. They were so smart that they won the Nobel Prize, the biggest award in the entire world. He taught science to people all over the world in a new and silly way that made him very famous. He played the bongos, painted, and made a point to tell anyone who didn't like his ideas that he didn't care what they thought as long as he liked himself. And that made everyone who knew him think he was pretty cool.

When you're older you can read about all the amazing stuff Dick Feynman did for science. For now watch this easy YouTube water experiment Dick Feynman once did in college to impress a girl:

Flipping Water Video (YouTube)

Question Time 2: "Stan the Man"

Always with the questions!

Who would win in a fight: Human Torch or the Silver Surfer?
--Angel, Ms. D'Ascoli's class

Stan Lee, the man who invented both characters. Lee is from the Bronx. He founded Marvel Comics after graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School a few blocks up Grand Concourse.

Here's what Stan Lee has to say about elementary school:

Stan sees many things that can be done with education to make it more beneficial [helpful] to students. To him, there is nothing more exciting than history, geography, language or science, if those subjects are taught in an imaginative, entertaining way. He thinks teachers need to take a tip from show biz, to learn how to hold a youngster’s interest, to make him want to learn by making learning fun.

I hope this blog makes science learning fun!

Stan Lee photo courtesy comicon.com

December Scientist of the Month: Al Jean

That's not a picture of Al Jean. That's a picture of Springfield's smartest scientist Professor Frink.

Did you know that the people who make The Simpsons are science geniuses?

Meet Al Jean. Al Jean studied math and computer science at Harvard. Harvard is a small college in Boston. Nobody cares about it. But very smart people go there.

Al Jean uses science to write TV like The Simpsons, and, uh, Charles in Charge.

Write a 2-page report on him before the holiday. Maybe you'll win the prize! Here's a start:
Al Jean
Simpsons Math
"Meet the Geeks"

Scientist of the Month, PS3 Edition

November's Scientist of the Month winners are...
- Diandre (Samuels)!
- Ismael (Arias)!

They got prizes. (Not a PS3, unfortunately, but they can show you.)

December's Scientist of the Month will be online next Monday...

Scientist of the Month, Again: Ken Kutaragi

Our "Scientist of the Month" is still Ken Kutaragi. Ken Kutaragi invented Playstation. Write a 2-page report about him, and Ms. Miller will love you forever. You might also win a small prize...

Remember: Reports are now due Friday, November 17.

If you need help writing your report, talk to Ms. Miller before Friday. This story has some ideas. The vocabulary's tough, but Ms. Miller knows you can read it!

Scientist of the Month: Ken Kutaragi

Ken Kutaragi invented Sony Playstation.

Write a two-page report on Kutaragi by November 13. The writer of the best essay will get a small prize.
- How did Kutaragi become a scientist?
- Which parts of Playstation did he invent?
- Why is this invention important to you?
- What can you do to be more like him as a scientist?

Charles (Drew) in Charge

At the start of every unit, each fifth grade class gets a real-life scientist Role Mo-del to guide our own studies toward the Big Mo. Ms. Samuels' students want someone like Charles Drew in charge the next time they need a blood transfusion...

Charles Drew was African-American. Charles was a doctor and a scientist. Charles makes needles for people. Charles Drew was the famous scientist of the world. Charles helped people to live. Charles knows about lots of things about science. Charles Drew loves science a lot because he likes to me stuff and to be smart all day.

-- Joshua

I learned that Charles Drew was a miracle and that he was a doctor and he used to cut people very open and their heart and lungs. You can see anything about the body.

--Oscar