Wednesday, December 16, 2009

New SportsWorks Opens Saturday



The new SportsWorks at the Carnegie Science Center opens Saturday after closing in its prior location last year. Director of Exhibit Experience Dennis Bateman says to come early and be sure to wear tennis shoes because you won't just be looking at things. In the sports challenge area, for example, you'll see how high you can jump, how fast you can run, and how fast you can pitch a ball.

There are new exhibits and old favorites that have been improved, like the one on reaction time that demonstrates how quickly the brain can process information. It now uses the example of a hockey goalie.

In response to the epidemic of childhood obesity, a new physical fitness area emphasizes the relation of good nutrition and physical activity to health and sports ability.

The same exhibit may be used in multiple ways by teachers, depending on whether they want to convey a lesson on anatomy and physiology or health or physics.
The content and focus of each exhibit targets a student in middle school, but there have been 5-year-olds who climb the rock wall and grandmothers on the unicycle high beam.

One admission includes both SportsWorks and the Science Center. Hours are 10 to 5 Monday through Friday and Sunday; 10 to 7 on Saturday.

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