Teacher’s zero gravity flight allows students to experiment on weightlessness

Lab days in science class are always exciting, but Teacher Lauren Parker and her students at Fort Worth Academy took their experiments to a whole new level by exploring outer space simulation.

Parker seized the opportunity to experience weightlessness by boarding a plane that replicates the feeling of being in outer space.

“It was awesome, it was really cool,” Parker shared.

She challenged her students to devise experiments for her to conduct during the flight, such as dropping mentos in a bottle of Diet Coke, manipulating water through valves, and investigating how certain substances transition from liquid to solid when exposed to sound.

“It’s very weird, I’m not sure why it does that, but we’re testing it because we want to see why it does it in zero-G,” explained Williams Stimek, one of the students.

Among the experiments, the students attempted to make breakfast, particularly pancakes.

“There’s no way to make pancakes if the batter is floating in the air,” noted James McDonald, another student.

While the flight crew didn’t allow the use of a hot plate on the plane, the students walked away with valuable knowledge.

“My opinion was it was going to stick and make like a dome because the zero-G makes it go up but the Maillard reaction makes it go down,” commented Charlotte Killebrew, one of the students.

Teachers from various schools across the country also participated in similar flights, with all collected data being shared with scientists.

“The kids made the comment at one point of like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just a school project. Like this is actual research.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, like, this is actually going somewhere,'” Parker remarked.

These experiences are not only fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills but also inspiring students to tackle the challenges of the future, both big and small.