A local science teacher will break out the robe and wizard's hat next week in order to get more students entranced by the magic of science.
Paul Kane chemistry teacher Mike Ng will perform the second-annual Maki(Ng) Halloweenie Spooktacular Science Magic Show for some 135 Leo Nickerson and Keenooshayo students this Oct. 24.
Ng says last year's show for 45 students was such a huge hit that he decided to do it again.
Audience members will ooh, ah, and take part as he demonstrates the principles behind elephant toothpaste, vampire slime and other strange phenomena. Special guests will include a giant Lego man and an eight-foot tall (stuffed) bear.
"I'm going to shoot 200 film canisters in the air with alka-seltzer (tablets) all at once," he says, and cause explosions using dry ice.
The show has all the pop and pizzazz of a magic show with one important difference: Ng will actually explain his tricks.
"A magician never tells you the answers of how the magic (works), but because we're scientists and we're performing this, we're able to teach the students about the science behind the magic," Ng said.
Science wizards
Ng is also joining other scientists next Oct. 25 at the University of Alberta for the third annual School of Witchcraft and Wizardry event. Put on by Let's Talk Science, the event is meant to engage students aged six to 16 in science and math.
The event started back as a spinoff of the travelling Harry Potter exhibit at the Telus World of Science in Edmonton, says event co-ordinator James Ede. It proved extremely popular, so they brought it back a second and third time.
Some 1,600 students are expected to crowd the Katz Pharmacy Building at the U of A next week to take in the free show, Ede says.
The whole floor is kitted out like a mini-Hogwarts, Ede says. Kids will get a Marauder's Map and fill it out as they explore the site.
Students will learn about magical creatures in the form of dinosaur bones, see the evolution of Muggles (non-magical humans) via real human skulls, master the art of charms with hydrophilic and hydrophobic fluids and defend against the dark arts with ferromagnetic substances.
Expect explosions, glowing creatures and lots of hands-on activities, says co-organizer and chemist Roy Jensen – about 15 to 20 in total. Students who do all the activities will get to take part in a special graduation ceremony at the end of the day.
Ng will be down in the dungeon area teaching Potions, or chemistry, during which he will likely invoke a simple light spell by burning magnesium, mix a polyjuice potion (in the form of a lava lamp), shoot toilet paper from a leaf blower to demonstrate Bernoulli's principle, and blow stuff up.
Ng will also have a bottle of dragon or vampire blood with him.
"You're looking at it and it's green … but if you point it up to the light, it's red," he says, demonstrating such. It makes for some really cool coloured slime, he notes.
Jensen says he hopes the show gets students interested in science and helps adults appreciate its relevance.
"It's not just something that you see in the movies," he says.
"It's something that occurs in their everyday life."
Ng says he sees these shows as a way to give back to the community and get youths hooked on science.
"It's one thing to teach it, but if you actually make it fun they'll remember it for the rest of their lives."
The free Paul Kane show runs from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. this Friday in the school's cafeteria. Call the school at 780-459-4405 for details.
The U of A's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be in session from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Saturday at the Katz Pharmacy Building, which is located next to the Education car park at 87 Ave. and 114 St. Students should register for their free ticket at www.eventbrite.ca.
