x
Breaking News
More () »

STEM Day soars to new heights at Perry Middle School

Hot air balloons turned into a science lesson for STEM Day at Perry Middle.

Hot air balloons are cool to look at, but they also serve as a learning tool. 

"It has all the elements of science -- you have weather, you have simple machines because you use pulleys and ropes and that kind of thing," Chris Cox, STEM Day educator said. 

The day brought light and life to what students like 8th grader Carter Horton learn in the classroom.

"The one we were raising up, you could really tell how the hot air was rising, and the convection currents show the air was going up," Horton said. 

Stewart Enloe is the ReMax Balloon pilot who loves to fly. 

RELATED: Deep Dive: Students wade into oceanography at Museum of Aviation's STEM camp

"Every time I put the balloon up, I think, ‘This is so cool,'" Enloe said. 

He is sure to bring that same joy when teaching about the science behind soaring. 

"When the sun's up higher, it heats a lake up a lot faster than a parking lot, so you get updrafts and downdrafts, and a balloon can't overpower that," Enloe described.

He hopes to inspire students and make science easier to understand across all elevations.

RELATED: NASA provides STEM workshops to teachers at Museum of Aviation

"It's like doing an experiment in Science or in the lab, just a lot easier to understand," Horton continued, "It’s a lot better for hands-on learners to understand."

As balloons fired up their engines for another STEM Day.

The students also got to listen to volunteers from the Museum of Aviation to discuss the forces of flight. 

The balloons will make another appearance at the Dogwood Festival in Perry from April 12-14.

Before You Leave, Check This Out