August is National Inventors Month and what better way to honor those brave and creative individuals, who have invented and continue to invent products and solutions that change our lives, than with a month dedicated to them.
In tribute to inventors, we wanted to list the top five inventions that have helped to construct, maintain, and equip our top products.
Glue - Although different varieties of glue have been used with dates that go back thousands of years B.C., glue is continuously being reformulated to serve new purposes. In 1750, the first patent for glue, which was made from fish, was issued in Britain.
Straws - The first straw patented was made of paper in 1888 by Marvin Stone.
Velcro® - George de Mestral came up with the idea for Velcro after picking burrs off of his dog after returning from a nature hike in 1941, his patent was granted many years later in 1955.
Paper clip - The first known patent for the paper clip was in 1899 in Germany by Johan Vaaler.
Pencils - Nicolas Conte patented the process to make pencils in 1795. In 1844, Charles Goodyear invented vulcanization of rubber that made erasers common and durable. Hyman Lipman received the first patent for attaching the eraser to a pencil in 1858.
To all of the successful inventors who have changed history and to all the potential inventors who will lead us into the future, we say, "Thank you!"
2010 STEM catalog highlights best of hands-on activities.
Check out this year’s Pitsco Education STEM catalog, a slim 44-page collection of popular hands-on activities that deliver big on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning potential.
For educators who’ve always wanted to try CO2 dragsters but didn’t have the time, space, or power tools, Pitsco Education introduces the AP Dragsters. These small, air-powered vehicles are simple to build and safe to launch. Choose from the Mini AP Dragster Kit, which has a quick build that will have students racing in no time, or the AP Designer Dragster Kit, which includes a small balsa wood body blank (like a CO2 dragster but smaller) so students can apply their knowledge of aerodynamics, friction, and other principles. Then, the vehicles are launched from the AP Dragster Launcher – its dual-pressure tanks and spring tensions feature ensure even launches for both cars.
Also new to the 2010 catalog are 18 sample activities for teachers to use in the classroom. So when teachers try out the Straw Rockets, Mousetrap Vehicles, or another classic activity, they also have a lesson to help them start focusing on the STEM concepts involved. Of course, materials and equipment for teaching sustainable energy, rocketry, aeronautics, and simple machines are the backbone of the catalog.
Request a free copy of the 2010 STEM catalog here or call 800-835-0686.
For the Pitsco crew hosting the CO2 dragster races, it was another successful year. With record number entries, TV inspired trends, and victorious racing teams there were many highlights to share.
To read all the highlights, visit http://www.science-of-speed.com/default.asp?id=287.
Our first products featured for the Products that Make the Grade campaign are our air-powered products.
Pitsco started using air power with its Straw Rocket Launcher, which is an easy and fun way to demonstrate rockets and the lessons behind them. When creating more products, we at Pitsco like to go higher and bigger - who doesn't?
When we introduced the AP Rocket Launcher, it was a big hit. The launcher can shoot rockets more than 100 feet in a variety of different directions. The launch angle can be adjusted from zero to 90 degrees and the air pressure is variable from zero to 20 psi.
What do we put on this launcher, you might ask? We have AP rockets, which come in a class pack with enough to build 30 rockets. We also have AP gliders, where a glider travels on a rocket tube and, after reaching apogee, the rocket tube returns safely to land and the glider separates from the rocket tube and glides down. The gliders are available in a glider kit, which includes three different styles of gliders, or a class pack with enough materials for 30 gliders.
With the AP launcher, rockets, and gliders, you can create exciting math and science experiments for trajectory, velocity, aerodynamics, pneumatics, and force and motion. For more information on our AP products, click here.
Honoring math students in the Oval Office has been a tradition for 10 consecutive years now, but many presidents have welcomed these champions. President Barack Obama and former Presidents George W. Bush, William Clinton, George Bush, and Ronald Reagan have all honored MATHCOUNT champs in that same office.
To become a MATHCOUNT champion requires an extraordinary student and an excellent coach who are very deserving of a private meeting with the President. At the National competition - held on May 7, 2010 in Orlando, FL - 224 students competed from 56 states and territories and one prevailed.
To read more information about this Oval Office meeting and who the winner, the runner up, and the first place state team was, please read the press release.
Pitsco Education is a national sponsor of MATHCOUNTS. To learn more about MATHCOUNTS, visit www.mathcounts.org.
The Technology Student Association national conference is in 10 days! Are you ready?
Since 1978, 2,000,000 middle and high school students have participated in this organization. This year's conference will mark the 32nd anniversary and will be held in Baltimore, MD starting June 28 through July 2. The theme is "TSA: Tomorrow's Leaders" and anyone who has helped with, been a part of, or participated in this organization, knows that to be true.
With 69 competitions at the national conference among themes in technology, design and engineering, it is guaranteed that there will be something for everyone. CO2 dragsters have a special place in the heart of Pitsco and we are once again hosting three CO2 dragster competitions at TSA in the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel: F1 in Schools, Dragster Design and Transportation Modeling.
Come out and support tomorrow's leaders and watch a race or two. Some of the dragster designs that the student's come up with are not only amazing, but also fast!
If you can't make it to the competition, be sure to check out our Science of Speed web site at http://www.science-of-speed.com, for all the highlights and pictures of all the great students and their dragsters. The Science of Speed web site will be updated two weeks after the competition ends.