BubbleMania: Science, Art & Comedy
January 2011 – The massive snow banks flanking the entranceways of Hillside and Mitchell schools did not deter Casey Carle from giving four rousing and engaging performances about bubbles. As students learned about the science of “bubble-ology”, they also experienced the art of theater and performance. Grades K-5 learned about spheres, cohesion, humidity and surfactant in a riveting performance that had students laughing and amazed, and eager to learn more about bubbles.
Parents Sondae Varga and Karen Crowley applied for their “BubbleMania: Science, Art & Comedy!” grant in the Spring 2010 cycle after rave reviews from Eliot School who hosted BubbleMania through a NEF grant awarded in the Fall 2009 cycle. Karen Crowley was pleased to see the students completely engaged and “excited to try the bubble experiments at home.” She adds, “BubbleMania was wonderfully entertaining; a fun blend of science and artist.” Supplemental funding was provided by Hillside and Mitchell Creative Arts Committees.
Casey Carle has been performing his bubble act since 1987, first in the Ringling Bros. Circus. Originally a math and science major in college, he changed to Theater Arts and specialized in children’s theater. His spontaneous and energetic nature, along with his continued interest in science, resulted in his successful solo act, BubbleMania. The impact of his performance was immediate, with one 2nd grade classroom continuing their own bubblemania into the afternoon with bubble research and a writing activity about… bubbles.
Here are some of the student responses to the open question “My favorite part of BubbleMania was when…”
“he made the crystal ball because there were colorful small bubbles on the big bubble.” – Layla
“he made the snow globe. Because my favorite season is winter. He put little bubbles in the big bubble with a straw.” – Julia
“he made a square bubble because I never thought people could make square bubbles.” – Maggie
“he made the crystal ball, because I’ve never seen one before. It was amazing because when wet things stick together the bubble doesn’t pop.” – Maddie
“he made the ice cream bubble because I never saw one before. And he was very funny, he made silly faces.” – Zachary
BubbleMania’s success at meeting NEF’s mission was echoed by Mitchell principal Dr. Mike Schwinden, “The fact that it sent students scurrying for more information as soon as it was over reinforces one of the things we know about education--make it interesting and students will delve into it with vigor!”