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Hi Everyone, I wanted to let you know that I saw so many wonderful things during my visit to The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pa.! Mrs. Knox's friends, the Educational Technology Programs department, were very friendly and gave me a tour of their museum. I bought a kite and a pair of bifocals in the museum store. (Benjamin Franklin did electricity experiments with a kite and invented the bifocals.) |
| First I wanted to see the Sports Challenge, The Franklin Institute's newest exhibit. I learned all about the science behind sports, and participated in many "challenges" along the way, such as a wheelchair race and a racecar reaction time contest. This exhibit is really exciting! |  |
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Next, I stood in the Pendulum staircase and looked down at the Foucault Pendulum. Did you know that the pendulum's movement is related to the rotation of the Earth? |
| This is called a glass armonica, and it is a musical instrument that Ben Franklin invented. A person wets his or her fingers and touches the spinning glass bowls to make a lovely musical sound. |  |
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I couldn't believe it, but I got a chance to meet Ben Franklin! Well, not quite Ben himself - he lived long ago - but I saw this huge statue of him in the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. This is the only National Memorial outside of Washington, D.C. Because I was visiting during the holiday season, Ben was seated right in the middle of a holiday light show. Really cool! |
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I think all of you should visit The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia if you have the chance. I learned a little about history, a lot about science, and had great fun in the process! Stanley |
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© 2000 Patricia Knox - North Canton City Schools - North Canton, Ohio
