Ipswich Town celebrates Einstein's success
On Thursday 17th March Ipswich Town Football Club brought the fun of physics to their ground at Portman Road, celebrating Einstein Year and marking the centenary of Einstein’s miraculous year, when he published three ground-breaking papers.
Over 400 pupils from across Suffolk attended the event, which was organised by the Institute of Physics and supported by BT. Sport and physics came together as the students took part in a variety of hands-on educational workshops designed to show that physics can be taught outside of the laboratory.
The event also included the launch of ITFC’s own science programme QUEST which is available to all primary schools in East Anglia.
Matt Try, Education Projects Co-ordinator commented about the event:
'We are proud to be hosting Einstein's Birthday Party at Portman Road in partnership with the Institute of Physics and funded by BT. It is another example of BT and Ipswich Town Football Club working together in order to offer Suffolk schools quality educational experiences following on from the successful literacy and numeracy events that the ITFC Education and Sports Trust have organised over the past year. This event is all the more significant for us given that we are also today launching an ongoing Science based educational programme called Town QUEST which will provide a unique learning experience for Key Stage 1 and 2 children in our purpose built Science Lab within the grounds of Portman Road.'
For further details:
Carolyn Friend
Communications & Events Co-ordinator
Ipswich Town Education & Sports Trust
Portman Road
Ipswich
IP1 2DA
Tel: 01473 400513
E-mail: carolyn@itfc.co.uk
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND TO WORKSHOPS
Physical Science Workshop
The interactive workshop utilised the following equipment to illustrate differing aspects of Physics:
- BATAK Reaction Board - light and sound
Participants are challenged to react to a computerized lighting system during a 30 second test of hand to eye coordination, speed, fitness and agility. The apparatus can be adapted to cope with all age groups and people with some disabilities. - Photo Electric Timing - speed and acceleration
Using our photo-electric timing equipment we are able to accurately time and digitally display a participant’s time, to 1 / 100th of a second, over a suitable distance. Participants can then calculate their speed using the equation
Speed = Distance / Time. - Radar Speed Cage - forces and friction and drag
Our inflatable cage and radar gun, allow us to accurately record and display (in km per hour) the speed of a participant’s football shot. Very visual and exciting, participant’s try time and time again to beat their fastest shot. Students then analyse the forces acting upon the football when it is kicked. - Rowing Ergometers - aerobic and anaerobic work
Using our Concept 2 rowing ergometers, participants are challenged (head to head) to row as far as they can within the 20 second time limit, in this competitive test of power, stamina and technique.
Physics of the Body
This interactive workshop looks at the Physical makeup of our bodies, using equipment to test the following:
Flexibility
Lung capacity
Balance
Height
Weight
Grip strength
Back strength
Leg strength
The physical concepts of centre of gravity, balance and force are all explored in this fun and interactive session.
Mini Physics Experiments
This workshop will see the students further divide into five mini groups, to rotate around five simple, fun Physics experiments selected from the following:
Bubble Tennis, Test Your Sucking Power, The Magic Straw, The Magic Balloon and the Unbreakable Balloon, all of which will demonstrate a variety of physical science principles.
Interactive Physics in Sport Lecture
This interactive lecture, with overhead slides, looks at the following aspects of Physics in relation to Sport and allows for some audience participation:
Equal and Opposite Reactions
Bounce and Gravity
Weight Dispersal
Balance
Hitting
Friction
Released: 2005/03/23 12:22:55.578 GMT+0
