Posted on 06/11/2005 4:48:52 AM PDT by bikepacker67
AMHERST - A middle school science fair is no place for a BB gun.
That's what Amherst Regional Middle School eighth-graders Nathan C. Woodard and Nathaniel A. Gorlin-Crenshaw were told by officials from the Massachusetts Middle School Science Fair. The message came just 10 days before the June 4 event at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
"We had everything ready except gluing the poster," said Nathan, who lives in Pelham. "We got an e-mail that the project was hazardous, and it couldn't be shown because they didn't want to encourage kids to use ballistics."
The rejection came after the two teenagers spent seven months researching and testing their hypotheses. Their intent was to prove BB guns can be deadly and shouldn't be used by children. In the end, they said, they proved three hypotheses: BB guns can penetrate a human to cause a fatal injury; pellets can penetrate further than BBs; and clothing affects how far a BB and pellet will penetrate.
"We put a lot of time into this - every Monday and Thursday since November," said Nathaniel, who lives in Amherst. "We devoted a weekend to the actual testing."
Science teacher Jennifer D. Welborn and Nathan's mother, Sharon L. Downs, supervised the testing. The boys spent about $200 to purchase ballistics gelatin, which has the same density and consistency as human flesh, to use during their ballistic tests.
"We proved all three hypotheses," Nathaniel said.
In the end, it didn't matter to officials at Massachusetts State Science Fair Inc. According to middle school science fair rules, hazardous substances and devices are not permitted.
Nancy G. Degon, vice president of the organization and co-chair of the middle school fair, said she never received a research plan from the boys. If she had, she said, the plan would have been rejected immediately because a BB gun was used in the project. The pupils and Welborn said they sent the plan in.
"The scientific review committee does not consider science projects involving firearms to be safe for middle school students," said Degon, a science teacher at Auburn High School. "We've never considered guns before. We've rejected BB guns in the past."
Degon invited the boys to attend the fair, present their findings to some judges and receive a certificate of accomplishment, but the pupils rejected the offer because they weren't allowed to compete. Nathaniel and Nathan said they were insulted and offended by the invitation.
"I see their point of view. I don't agree with it," said Nathan, who used his father's BB gun for the testing.
"They did everything they needed to do," Welborn said. "It was a series of unfortunate errors. They had to suffer for that."
Nathan said the project was done in good faith and was meant to show people the dangers of BB guns. While minors can't purchase BB guns, they can receive them as gifts.
"We wanted to see if kids should not use BB guns because they're deadly," Nathan said. "I was really disappointed. We had a good point to prove."
The pupils said they're going to send their findings to the Amherst Police Department for review. In recent years, local police departments have been dealing more frequently with BB guns used during the commission of crimes. And the boys are thinking of presenting the project to their fellow pupils.
"I feel bad it happened, but they have to follow the rules," Degon said. "We are entitled to make those rules and enforce those rules."
It went from one to two.
Years ago in Junior High I did an experiment for school regarding the depth of penetration of different brands of pellets. It was fun.
I did the same experiment on my little brother.
I've got two, one in the hallway and one in the basement. I just hope I don't have a fire or else the whole neighborhood's going up........
"According to middle school science fair rules, hazardous substances and devices are not permitted. "
And there are NO projects that use 120 volts of AC current? Microwave ovens? Hazardous substances, show us the MSDS for that simulated volcano and everything else.
Most BB or pellet rifles are not power burners, no fire, not a firearm in most states.
The things I learn on FRee Republic. Well, there goes my next ten weekends.
Thank goodness for the state hardly anyone can pronounce and even fewer can spell! This ban on bb guns will show the terrorists we're serious, by gum!
Don't mess with Mass. or we'll bore you to death!
Oops! Have to contact the ACLU about that abbreviation. People will think Mass. is promoting Catholicism.
Obviously the Moderator thought so too....he removed my post....
NeverGore :^)
My sixth grade project was "Electroysis and Electroplating." I had no trouble in lighting hydrogen gas and producing chlorine. I'm sure the copper sulphate container had a warning label on it. How I hate modern "education." Today's education motto: "Take no risks - You might learn something."
That's Ok, I googled it up. I'll be declaring war on the french about mid july. You up for surfin on the rivera this august?
I dont even know where to start on this piece of idiocy.
I wonder if any of the kids submitting an approved project used a knife or razor in assembling the project. Used a stove or oven. Used glue or other solvents. Used a centrifuge, if they had access to one.
This is so ridiculous. Science in the real world is a dangerous business, and making a mistake can kill you. This is why, when you are a professional scientist, you have to have safety briefings on a regular basis, and other safety briefings are required if you work with certain materials. When a centrifuge fails, it can explode like a bomb. A researcher died after a single drop of a mercury compound spilled on her glove. And so on. What these boys were doing was not particularly hazardous, and they seem to have taken adequate safety measures.
20 years ago I did a demonstration speech using a 20 guage shot gun reloading machine. I dropped the finished shell after taking it out of the reloader and the teacher dove under her desk. Today, I couldn't even get by the cops at any entrance to the school carrying that thing.
I have a granddaughter age 12 and her lil brother, age 8. We have BB rifle, pellet rifle and BB pistols. We have paper targets and we have a whole lot of fun shooting in the back yard.
They will move up to real firearms when they are a little older. Granddaughter is old enough, but she is a tiny little thing.
It is good, clean and very inexpensive family fun. The children enjoy the competition and I dearly love the time we spend together. A box of 1500 BB's at wally world is less than $4.00...That's an awful lot of shooting.
My younger brother made a potato shooter for his science project in middle school. That thing was cool!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.