2013-012 EDC-Arts - Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library Fall 2012 Arts Grant Agreement $679

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CARRBORO BRANCH LIBRARY What's Up: Our Fascinating Local Skies April 3rd through June 18th Rocket launching and art viewing: Monday May 14th at 5:30 What's Up: Our Fascinating Local Skies is a unit for 6th grade Science/Technology students,focusing on an awareness of outer space and on possibilities for exploring it. The program rests on two primary hands-on activities: one emphasizing engineering and technology,and the other,aesthetics and imagination. In the first activity, supervised by Technology Lab teacher Redmond Grigg,each student received a kit for constructing a model rocket,complete with solid fuel motor and parachute. The students assembled,painted and launched their rockets over the course of several weeks,while exploring concepts of design,construction, propulsion and aerodynamics. In the second activity,artist Joey Howell, representing the Carrboro Branch Library(over a period of two days)led the class in creating paintings inspired by the Solar System and deep space objects. Using reference photos from the Hubble Space Telescope, the students produced original spacescapes expressing their personal visions of the Cosmos. They learned that the chaotic fluid dynamics of paint and water are closely related to the energetic forces at play in space. There was also time to talk about art and backyard astronomy with interested students. On another day,Library Art Committee Chairperson Nerys Levy,along with Redmond and Joey,joined the class in a discussion on the possibility of space travel,where they might want to go,what special skills and abilities would be required and why it is important for humankind to continue its efforts to explore the Cosmos. The students also had a chance to examine an 8-inch reflecting telescope up close and to learn how a telescopic image is formed. Finally,the students and Joey mounted an exhibition in the Carrboro Branch Library featuring both their original artwork and the previously launched rockets. The class took an active role in conceiving and organizing the display. The sometimes-destructive results of the rocket launches served to illustrate the perilous nature of space flight. The students' efforts resulted in beautiful artwork,for which they deserve to take great pride in showing to the public. The creators of this program,Redmond Grigg,Joey Howell and Nerys Levy,hoped to instill in the students an excitement about the Universe and the possibility of exploring it, and to nurture the next generation of scientists, engineers, astronauts and artists. Funding for this project was made possible by the Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library and the Orange County Arts Commission 6W