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Museum
340
TI-IE F R A N K L I N I N S T I T U T E
[J. F. I.
JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE The following papers will appear in this JOURNALwithin the next few months: ZADEH, L . A . : A Contribution to the Theory of Nonlinear Systems. LAUER, HF.NRI: Operating Modes of a Servomechanism with Nonlinear Friction. MOON, PARRY,AND DOmNA EBERLESPENCER: Some Coordinate Systems Associated with Elliptic Functions. COURT, ARNOLD: Wind Extremes as Design Factors. ALDRICH, LELAND E.: Solution of Algebraic Equations. MINORSKY, N.: On Interaction of Nonlinear Oscillators.
MUSEUM The Franklin Institute has always had a sympathetic concern for young people with scientific and mechnical inclinations, and has tried to assist in solving their problems for instruction and entertainment. Whatever steps have been taken in this direction, they have usually been enthusiastically received. One of the most recent activities arranged for the benefit of young people is a program centered upon the Museum and called "Science Adventures." This program, tried experimentally in 1949 as a series of especially guided tours of the Museum, has gradually evolved into an integrated series of workshop 'activities and lecture-demonstrations. Last year, when the new program was announced, it provoked so much interest that the subsequent enrollment of students exceeded anticipations to such an extent that the younger students had to be formed into two groups. The older students (12 to 15 years) devote most of their time to work in the Museum, where the members of the staff give demonstrations with the exhibits, supplemented with additional material where necessary. This opportunity to see and handle the material with more intimacy than the Museum display permits and to have the essential pieces described in detail is much enjoyed by the students. It provides a rewarding and instructive experience for the staff, also. The indoor work is supplemented with field trips to laboratories or industrial plants, where the greatest courtesy has been extended the young visitors. Work with younger students is always rather more difficult because of the less developed intelligence, but a happy solution to the difficulties has been found in reducing the amount of lecturing in order to concentrate upon interesting activities in which the students play the active part. This group covers an age spread between 8 and 12 years. By basing their work on workshop activity, combined with games in which elementary scientific principles are employed, no difficulty has been experienced in holding the students' interests while imparting instruction. The subjects covered last year embraced clocks; oxygen and oxidlzatlon; dry cells, batteries, and electro-magnets; magnetism; and kitchen chemistry. During the course of their meetings (which are held twice a week for a month) the young student performed experiments, learned how to perform numerous scientific tricks, and played several games with the knowledge he had acquired. He learned how to make a fire-extinguisher, a compass, an electro-magnet, and other things. The course is intended to introduce young people to science, and taken altogether each of the eight meetings each student attends proves to be a real adventure in science. Now that the summer months are approaching and the question of a child's vacation may come up for discussion, it would be wise to consider the prospect of "Science Adventures." Particulars may be obtained from the Educational Department of the Museum and, in view of the rapid and extensive enrollment last year, an early inquiry for information will forestall disappointment.
TI-IE F R A N K L I N I N S T I T U T E
[J. F. I.
JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE The following papers will appear in this JOURNALwithin the next few months: ZADEH, L . A . : A Contribution to the Theory of Nonlinear Systems. LAUER, HF.NRI: Operating Modes of a Servomechanism with Nonlinear Friction. MOON, PARRY,AND DOmNA EBERLESPENCER: Some Coordinate Systems Associated with Elliptic Functions. COURT, ARNOLD: Wind Extremes as Design Factors. ALDRICH, LELAND E.: Solution of Algebraic Equations. MINORSKY, N.: On Interaction of Nonlinear Oscillators.
MUSEUM The Franklin Institute has always had a sympathetic concern for young people with scientific and mechnical inclinations, and has tried to assist in solving their problems for instruction and entertainment. Whatever steps have been taken in this direction, they have usually been enthusiastically received. One of the most recent activities arranged for the benefit of young people is a program centered upon the Museum and called "Science Adventures." This program, tried experimentally in 1949 as a series of especially guided tours of the Museum, has gradually evolved into an integrated series of workshop 'activities and lecture-demonstrations. Last year, when the new program was announced, it provoked so much interest that the subsequent enrollment of students exceeded anticipations to such an extent that the younger students had to be formed into two groups. The older students (12 to 15 years) devote most of their time to work in the Museum, where the members of the staff give demonstrations with the exhibits, supplemented with additional material where necessary. This opportunity to see and handle the material with more intimacy than the Museum display permits and to have the essential pieces described in detail is much enjoyed by the students. It provides a rewarding and instructive experience for the staff, also. The indoor work is supplemented with field trips to laboratories or industrial plants, where the greatest courtesy has been extended the young visitors. Work with younger students is always rather more difficult because of the less developed intelligence, but a happy solution to the difficulties has been found in reducing the amount of lecturing in order to concentrate upon interesting activities in which the students play the active part. This group covers an age spread between 8 and 12 years. By basing their work on workshop activity, combined with games in which elementary scientific principles are employed, no difficulty has been experienced in holding the students' interests while imparting instruction. The subjects covered last year embraced clocks; oxygen and oxidlzatlon; dry cells, batteries, and electro-magnets; magnetism; and kitchen chemistry. During the course of their meetings (which are held twice a week for a month) the young student performed experiments, learned how to perform numerous scientific tricks, and played several games with the knowledge he had acquired. He learned how to make a fire-extinguisher, a compass, an electro-magnet, and other things. The course is intended to introduce young people to science, and taken altogether each of the eight meetings each student attends proves to be a real adventure in science. Now that the summer months are approaching and the question of a child's vacation may come up for discussion, it would be wise to consider the prospect of "Science Adventures." Particulars may be obtained from the Educational Department of the Museum and, in view of the rapid and extensive enrollment last year, an early inquiry for information will forestall disappointment.