Explorit teams up with a friend in science

For Explorit, it’s a match made in science heaven. The center has struck up a relationship with PASCO scientific, a Roseville-based company that develops science equipment and curriculums for classrooms around the world.

PASCO recently gave Explorit a set of very cool items from its extensive catalog; most will be installed soon in Explorit’s long-term exhibition, “Move It! Science in Action.” And there is talk of many joint ventures to come.

“Explorit couldn’t be happier with this new partnership,” said Lou Ziskind, executive director. “PASCO’s vision dovetails beautifully with ours. We’re extremely fortunate that they’ve taken us under their generous wing.”

During its 45-year history, PASCO has focused exclusively on science education –designing, developing and supporting better ways of teaching and learning science. In its Roseville labs, engineers, education researchers and former teachers create the science tools of the 21st century, many of them high-tech but grounded in pure science.

Everyone at PASCO is dedicated to improving student success in science education, according to Paul A. Stokstad, founder and president. Stokstad demonstrated that dedication during a recent tour Explorit and showed great passion for exciting children about science.

“What do you think will happen if I tilt the wheel this way?” Stokstad asked a group of Explorit day-campers during the museum visit. He was sitting on a rotating stool and holding the handles of a single spinning bicycle wheel.

The kids oohed and ahhed as the rotating stool stopped revolving clockwise and began going counter-clockwise, a function of angular momentum.

By the time he was through with his demo, the kids were asking for his autograph.

“Engaging students in science learning is our passion,” Stokstad said. “Our true success comes when a teacher believes our products not only enriched a science activity, but helped a student become more science literate.”

Besides the bicycle gyroscope, PASCO donated to Explorit:

• A Chladni Plates Kit and Violin Plate
• A Discover Rotation Platform
• A Mechanical Wave Driver and Wine Wave Generator
• A Rotational Inertia Set and Tank
• A Spherical Mass Set.

If you don’t know what most of the products do, there’s an easy solution: Visit Explorit. The cool new items will become available to the public in coming weeks. We’re open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays and 2-4:30 Tuesdays through Fridays. Admission is $4, free for ages 3 and under.

For more information, visit http://www.explorit.org. For information about PASCO, visit http://www.pasco.com or call 800-772-8700.