Students in our region were part of a national science experiment on Friday looking to set a world record.
It was a simple science lesson involving paper airplanes that can best demonstrate the effect of gravity.
High school students in Bradford joined thousand more across the country – attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest science lesson.
“Very few people actually get into the Guinness World Record book and if this really happens it would be really cool,” says grade 9 student Morgan McWilliams.
The current record belongs to 13,701 Canadians who last year from coast to coast did an experiment on air pressure.
In classrooms right across the country on Friday, students worked together to break that world record. Tens of thousands of students learn the exact same lesson on gravity and the atmosphere on earth, mars and the moon.
The attempt is an experiment itself, there are strict guidelines set out by Guinness that must be followed – the lessons have to be at least 30 minutes and also recorded and timed. And every participating student must be tallied before and after and there must be two witnesses.
Tyler Leach is the head of the science department at Bradford District High School and signed his grade 9 and 11 students up for the attempt.
“I want to make sure students realize that science is just not about books, it can be fun and could lead to future careers.”
In Bradford, 53 students and four teachers participated in the lesson but will have to wait to see if they made the record book. Every school that participated must send video, pictures, and witness statements from Friday’s lesson to Guinness judges who will determine if a new record was set.
