Hovercraft
are not only all-weather, all-terrain vehicles – they’re all-ages vehicles,
too! Hovercraft Training Centers’ graduates range from pre-teens to
octogenarians. And when it comes to youth, HTC is actively involved in using
hovercraft to enrich the educational experiences of students across the world.
As an
example, HTC founder and Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald recently spent a
Saturday at Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, IN showing students how
learning can soar to new heights with hovercraft. Sarah Scott technology
instructor Mark Kirby was looking for a way to prepare his students for their
upcoming ISTEP tests. So he and his fellow teachers invited Fitzgerald to
present a classroom session and take the kids for rides on an HTC Neoteric
training hovercraft.
Besides learning
all about hovercraft and the math and physics involved, the students played
with remote controlled hovercraft and a hovering billiard ball built by Neoteric
for the comedian Gallagher; they built their own hovercraft from CDs – and they
were treated to actual rides in the HTC training hovercraft.
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The
students enjoyed guiding a Gallagher “hovering billiard ball” around the room. This
is one of 15 “hovering
billiard balls” Neoteric manufactured for the U.S. comedian Gallagher – a small hovercraft powered by a leaf blower and equipped with jupe skirts. Gallagher’s were built with a billiard ball top, not attached on this model. |
Mark Kirby
describes the program, “We wanted to use
the hovercraft as a vehicle to show students that the math and language arts
skills tested on ISTEP have a practical application. We invited any middle
school student interested in participating and invited at least one of their
parents. As it turned out, we had a few siblings attend that weren’t quite
middle school age, making it a true family activity. So the ages ranged from 3rd
graders to 8th graders (ages 8-14).”
 |
Using a
small remote controlled hovercraft, Fitzgerald explains hovercraft skirts and their
importance
in trapping the cushion air under the hovercraft - how the skirt acts as a seal to hold air under the craft. |
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| And then the students moved on to the real thing! They were thrilled with their first ride ever in a hovercraft around the school parking lot. |
We at HTC
encourage teachers, school administrators and parents worldwide to take
advantage of the interest hovercraft arouse and how easily they can excite kids
about math, physics and other areas of learning. Studying is fun when it
involves hovercraft!
Teachers & parents: Check out the
links below to learn more:
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