<http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,45236,00.html> Teachers Vie to Be Mr. Wizard By Katie Dean 2:00 a.m. July 16, 2001 PDT Give a science teacher any old household object -- a film canister, some baking soda or a bar of soap -- and she can concoct a wacky, educational experiment on the spot. That's the idea behind the San Francisco Exploratorium's Iron Science Teacher competition. The contest, part of the science museum's summertime training seminars for teachers, encourages teachers to develop experiments using inexpensive, everyday items, and to take that knowledge back to the classroom -- after they perform for an audience. It's a bit like Mr. Wizard or Bill Nye the Science Guy with a twist: The scientists must use the "secret ingredient." Each show, a mystery ingredient (revealed to the scientists in advance) is chosen and must be used in each experiment. "This is to kind of kindle their own sense of experimentation and discovery," said Linda Dackman, public information director for the museum. The audience, made up of fellow teachers and visitors to the hands-on museum, vote with applause on their favorite experiment. The contest is webcast on select Fridays of the summer at noon PDT. The competition runs at certain times during the school year as well, and previous shows are archived on the site. The teachers don't win anything except the thrill of being named an Iron Science Teacher. The inspiration for the competition is the Japanese cooking show, "Iron Chef," which airs on the Food Network. In the culinary show, chefs also use a secret ingredient and are judged on the tastiest dish. The competition is sponsored by Exploratorium Teacher Institute and the National Science Foundation. -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/science%40lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
