Balloon pilot Dick Goss brought thermodynamics to life for students at Dahlstrom Middle School in the hot air balloon provided by RE/MAX agent Gayla Goertz. (Photo by Kim Hilsenbeck)
by KIM HILSENBECK
When Frances Norman wants to drive home a science lesson, she goes big.
Norman, a science teacher at Dahlstrom Middle School, brought a hot air balloon to campus to demonstrate the properties of thermodynamics as part of the lesson on weather.
From a scientific standpoint, thermodynamics is the study of the amount of energy moving in and out of systems. For middle school students, it’s the chance to see and learn about science up close.
“How does hot air make the balloon rise?” asked Dick Goss, the pilot. Goss has been piloting hot air balloons for the last 20 years. He often visits schools to explain the science behind the wonder.
He was in a tethered red, white and blue balloon. About 740 students from sixth through eighth grade stood around the $40,000 balloon, answering his questions.
One student in the back yelled out, “Because hot air is less dense!”
That answer was correct. When molecules are excited, Goss said, they move around faster but they also spread out, making them less dense. That is why hot air rises.
Every time Goss blasted the propane heater, four-foot high flames leapt into the 65,000 cubic feet of space under the balloon. Students, especially the girls, jumped and squealed.
The hot blast of air could be felt up to 15 feet away. On a chilly morning where students could see their breath, it was a welcomed feeling.
“It’s good experience for us,” said eighth grader Taylor Cortez of Buda. “I think it’s cool to see how you can apply science to real life.”
Norman hoped the event would intrigue students, maybe enough to pursue a career in science. She tries to make science relevant and interesting.
For example, Dahlstrom is the only Hays County school with a KVUE Weather Bug station. Norman recently had one of the station’s meteorologists give a lesson on weather to her students.
Eighth grader Jacqueline Sedio seemed interested in the thermodynamics lesson.
“It’s really great how the school gets people to come out and explore science with us,” Sedio said.
Real estate agent Gayla Goertz was on hand that morning at Dahlstrom. Goertz’s daughter, Skylar, is in Norman’s eighth grade science class. Agents like Goertz rent one of RE/MAX’s nine balloons for publicity events.
For most students, just seeing the balloon and learning more about how it works was enough, though not all were willing to admit outright they thought it was fun.
“It’s cool I guess,” said eighth grader Ryan Clark of Buda with a shrug.
