Students across the Pittsburgh, PA, USA, area now have an opportunity to take a team of hockey players all the way to the Stanley Cup while engaging in unique science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programing – thanks to a new educational initiative created by PPG, the Carnegie Science Center and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.
PPG partnership brings the ‘Science of Hockey’ to life
Through Science of Hockey, the latest assembly show from Carnegie Science Center’s Science on the Road outreach program, students will learn about reaction time, cryogenic chemistry, forces of motion and more with dynamic science and math demonstrations. Aimed to excite students about STEM programming and careers using sports as the key subject, Science of Hockey explores the physics, geometry, physiology and materials science behind a game of hockey.
Geared toward students in grades K–8, the virtual program includes several live demonstrations led by a Science on the Road educator, with assistance from prerecorded videos of Iceburgh, the official mascot of the Pittsburgh Penguins, demonstrating Newton’s laws of motion, Bernoulli’s principle of lift and more. Other demonstrations include:
- Immersing a 3D-printed scale model of the Stanley Cup — printed and coated by PPG — in liquid nitrogen, showcasing a dramatic temperature change that demonstrates the science of thermochromism, which occurs when a substance changes color due to a temperature change.
- An explanation of thermochromic paint, created by LCR and PPG, on a hockey puck that fades from bright purple to beige as it warms up, indicating to referees that it is time for a fresh puck.
- Videos of Penguins Director of Youth Hockey, Shannon Webster, performing the four main types of shots — slap, snap, wristshot, and backhand — to illustrate the physics at play that result in a good pass, reception or goal.
“Science of Hockey is packed with engaging lessons and demonstrations that draw real-world connections to the scientific concepts students are learning in schools,” said Jason Brown, Henry Buhl, Jr., director of Carnegie Science Center. “Our collaboration with PPG and Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation has resulted in a fantastic assembly show that is guaranteed to get students excited about science.”
“At PPG, we know that science is all around us – from the paint that protects a hockey goal post, to the coating that indicates when a puck is game-ready – it is a powerful component in the game of hockey and beyond,” said Malesia Dunn, executive director, PPG Foundation and global social responsibility. “This dynamic and engaging program will allow us to further educate the next generation of inventors, and showcase real-life examples of advanced coatings applications and the chemistry behind them.”
Schools, libraries and organizations can now book Science of Hockey as a virtual program or bring the assembly to their location this fall.
From the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands to the Greensboro Science Center in Greensboro, NC, we’re proud to partner with leading science centers that serve PPG communities. Click here to learn more about PPG’s STEM educational priorities and its partnerships with science centers around the globe.
Watch below for the KDKA Kidsburgh segment on Science of Hockey.