Ahwatukee students create rides based on how body works
At age 12, Summit School of Ahwatukee seventh-grader Cooper Dinowitz hasnt played with Legos for years, but his stashed-away boxes of the small, interlocking blocks came in handy when fashioning a facsimile of the human digestive system.
Coopers project was among 16 Human Body Amusement Park displays on view this week at the school.
The brainchild of Summit science teacher Andrea Yocum, the park was a hands-on learning experience that showcases the students creativity while re-enforcing last semesters lessons on the human body and major systems, including the circulatory, digestive, nervous, skeletal/muscular and respiratory.
Each Body Amusement Park display had five rides illustrating each system.
Cooper and two partners made their digestive system ride to resemble a roller coaster starting at a gaping mouth in a large foam head.
A marble entered at the mouth and went steeply down the esophagus, curled down and through the small intestine, large intestine, colon, and came out you know where, said Cooper of Tempe, adding that he and partners Nick Walrod and Zach Crown had a little difficulty brainstorming as a group, but after a while we made some good decisions. Walrod and Crown are from Ahwatukee.
Osaso Ighodaro of Chandler and her partner KeAnna Anglin of Ahwatukee created trampolines to represent how neurons send messages through the nervous system.
We made the trampolines using clay, then added plastic tubing, cardboard and Popsicle sticks, said Osaso, 12. At first, we had trouble coming up with a concept for the nervous system but we used the trampolines as the neurons, and people as neurotransmitters that send messages throughout the body through the neuropathways.
Like other teams, the two girls worked on their large Human Body Amusement Parks during winter break.
Mostly we worked on it at her house, in her room, she said of their 2-foot x 4-foot park. From the brainstorming to when we finished, we probably put in about 14 or 15 hours.
No park could be larger than 4 feet by 4 feet in order to fit through the science-classroom door.
Some displays contained trees and water features, park visitors and restrooms. Others incorporated fans or small machines like those in the circulatory system that Austin Iannitti and Kyle Corrette made, using a pump to move pulsing blood through veins.
Carly Bych of Chandler and partner Lauren Shapiro of Ahwatukee, both 13, said creating the Human Body Amusement Park came in handy during final tests earlier this month.
It helped a lot because we could relate back to it and think, OK, how did the circulatory system relate to the digestive system, nervous system, respiratory and skeletal/muscular? said Carly.
Her favorite ride was their Lung Bounce House, made to illustrate the respiratory system. Milk jugs were used as the lungs and toilet paper rolls acted as the bronchi. At the bottom of the respiratory ride was a balloon with Lego figures that moved when viewers interacted by pushing down on the balloon that represented the diaphragm.
The kids are so creative, they can take the same (body) system and do it 10 different ways, Yocum said. The kids love it and a lot of it, I think, is that they get to look at the body systems in a different way. It helps them analyze the information.
Students also wrote an explanation describing how the rides worked, and how they related to the other body systems, and made oral presentations to their classmates.
I like the hands-on part of this, said Cooper. It really brings to life what weve learned from our books.
A rare CPM-UDF camaraderie
KANNUR: The â??Vismaya Amusement Parkâ??, sponsored by the CPM in the district here continues to cause a lot of â??amazementâ?? among political circles here at every stage of its development.
The latest in the series of surprises was touched off with the launch of a new subsidiary unit of the park, Vismaya Tours and Travels, which too was floated by the Malabar Tourism Development Cooperative Ltd, fully controlled by the CPM leadership. The launch of the new tourism venture of the CPM cooperative on Saturday was marked by a lot of â??political amusementâ??.
The inaugural function also laid bare the brewing discontent over the issue among the leaders of both the Congress and the CPM. It was Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar, who launched the new subsidiary unit of the CPM-sponsored tourism cooperative while A P Abdullakutty inaugurated its website.
The Vismaya Amusement Park established by the CPM cooperative in the Communist heartland had been a target of criticism of the CPM by the Congress ever since the project was floated by the former. In fact, the Congress leadership had never recognised the merits of the CPM cooperativeâ??s tourism venture at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district. The Congress leadership too hadnâ??t expected that Congress leader Anilkumar would accept the invitation to inaugurate a new unit of the Vismaya Amusement Park.
The party leaders in the district here also werenâ??t amused by the words of praises showered on a rain-harvesting project set up as part of the park by A P Abdullakutty MLA. In what could be termed as a â??quid pro quoâ??, Abdullakutty MLA was invited to launch the website of the newly-formed Vismaya Tours and Travels.
Unfortunately, the CPM cooperativeâ??s action of offering a good-will gesture to Abdullakutty wasnâ??t taken kindly by many of the CPM leaders in the district here.
The CPM leaders kept away from the function although they werenâ??t ready to acknowledge it as an action of protest. CPM district secretary P Jayarajan, state secretariat member M V Govindan and district panchayat president K A Sarala werenâ??t present at the function which was inaugurated by Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar on Saturday.
Incidentally, even as the Vismaya Tours and Travels was expected to cause no miracle, it was A P Abdullakutty MLA who scored a political point.
Kuttyâ??s point of view that â??tourism development schemes shouldnâ??t be mixed with petty political considerationsâ? found a lot of supporters.
Stellar D will buoy the Bulls
CHICAGO -- The Brian Scalabrine chant started up especially early in the Chicago Bulls home opener Sunday night, the defending Eastern Conference runner-ups ringing in the new year with the sort of lopsided smackaround that has a crowd looking for other forms of amusement.
Amusement Parks In New Jersey: A Huffington Post Travel Guide
Amusement parks in New Jersey draw visitors from all over the Mid-Atlantic, especially New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Whether its a major theme park or an old-fashioned amusement park at the Shore, theres no shortage of thrills and family fun. As part of a Huffington Post Travel series on family-fun parks, here is our guide to all the key information visitors need to know about New Jersey amusement parks.
Steel Pier
Not everything in iconic Atlantic City is family-friendly, but the Steel Pier certainly is. This historic park is over 100 years old and was once known as The Nations Showplace. With over 20 rides from the ultra-thrilling to the mild, its still one of the best places for families on the boardwalk.
Most Extreme The Rocket at the Steel Pier was voted New Jerseys Most Extreme ride six years in a row. Riders shoot 225 feet up in a second and a half, at over 100 miles per hour.
Pier Attractions The Steel Pier also features a Ferris wheel, a double-decker carousel, coasters, bumper cars, a Tilt-A-Whirl and go-karts, as well as a variety of amusement games. For a real adventure, your family can take a real helicopter tour over Atlantic City, day or night -- its the only helicopter tour on the Jersey Shore.
Boardwalk Food The Steel Pier offers classic boardwalk food, including pizza, sausages and funnel cake.
Safety Record The Steel Pier reported a couple of serious accidents in the 1990s, according to Philly.com. No recent reports of accidents or injuries were found.
Address: 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: 866-386-6659
Hours: The park is open weekends starting in April. The full season begins mid-June and lasts through August, when the park is open weekdays from 3 pm to midnight and weekends from noon to 1 am
Price: There is no entry fee. Tickets are $1 a piece, but are discounted if you purchase a book of tickets. Guests can also purchase a $40 pass for unlimited rides. The Rocket costs $25 per person. Helicopter rides cost $49 per person, plus a gas surcharge.
Six Flags Great Adventure
Great Adventure is Six Flags big time theme park serving the Tri-State area of New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. The location is ideal if you plan to visit both Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, since its located in between the two.
Just Like The Movie The signature ride at Six Flags Great Adventure varies from season to season, depending on the new major ride. For 2011, its the Green Lantern ride -- a 15-story stand-up coaster with upside-down loops based on the Green Lantern movie. Expect very long lines for new coasters all season long, especially on weekends.
Other Attractions Great Adventure offers nearly 50 rides for all ages, including two Amusement Today Top 10 Golden Ticket roller coasters: the El Toro (#2 wooden coaster in the US) and the Nitro (#3 steel coaster), as well as two Batman coasters and a Superman coaster. In addition to thrill rides, Great Adventure features lots of mild to moderate rides for all ages, including Looney Tunes themed rides for younger kids.
Food Options There are over 30 places to eat and drink in Six Flags Great Adventure, including Nathans Hot Dogs, Johnny Rockets, Panda Express, La Cocina, Primos Pizza and Ben and Jerrys. The Oasis Cafe in the Safari Kids area is Kosher-friendly. Beer and wine are served at the Liberty Pub on Main Street.
Safety Record Theme Park Insider has records of five unconfirmed injuries and minor accidents, all prior to 2009, and one verified accident involving a stunt performer injured while performing a Jet Ski trick in 2005.
Address: 1 Six Flags Boulevard, Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: 732-928-1821
Hours: The park is open weekends and some weekdays in April, May, September and October. June through August the park is open daily from 10:30 am to 10 pm Please visit the website for a complete list of dates and hours.
Price: General Admission, $59.99; Junior (under 54), $34.99; Younger than 2, free. Add $11.99 per ticket to include the drive-through Wild Safari. Online discounts, group rates and season passes are available. One-day parking is $20.
Other Noteworthy Parks Near New Jersey Clementon Park
Land of Make Believe
Wild West City
Moreys Piers
The FunPlex
Whats your favorite amusement park in New Jersey?
Check out more AMUSEMENT PARKS.
Tumon amusement park coming soon
Hong Soon Im, president of Miki Taxi Service, stands in front of one of the rides for a new amusement park hes building in Tumon on Thursday. The park will be located next to Bayview Hotel, and is scheduled to open in February, Im said. / Masako Watanabe/Pacific Daily News/mwatanabe@guamp
‘Noles soak up experience with shopping spree, amusement park
Seminoles? shopping spree: Florida State received a $420 Best Buy spending spree as part of their bowl gift. During the Champs Sports Bowls spending spree, a couple of the ?Noles showed-off their dance moves.
Amusement Parks In St. Louis: A Huffington Post Travel Guide
Amusement parks in and around St. Louis celebrate the regions history and culture. Six Flags St. Louis honors the St. Louis World Exposition of 1904 as well as the citys role as a Gateway to the West. Silver City in Branson recognizes the regions country music roots. As part of a Huffington Post Travel series on family-fun parks, here is our guide to all the key information visitors need to know about St. Louis area amusement parks.
Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City, which opened in 1960, celebrates the Ozark regions ties to country music as well as its frontier history. The 55-acre park is divided into 10 themed areas, and visitors can enjoy 22 thrill and water rides, craft demonstrations, live entertainment and concerts.
Best Coaster The signature ride at Silver Dollar City is WildFire, a spiraling, steel cobra coaster that reaches speeds of up to 66 mph.
Other Coasters In addition to WildFire, Silver Dollar City offers 21 roller coaster and water rides as well as a variety of craft and pioneer skill demonstrations, a special kiddie area, lots of live music and dozens of shops where visitors can buy pioneer-era crafts that were made at the park.
Buffets And Grills Silver Dollar City features a variety of buffets, concessions and grills scattered throughout the park. Among these is Mollys Mill Restaurant, where guests can enjoy a piping hot breakfast before exploring the park.
Safety Record In 2005, according to Ride Accidents, a train carrying 16 passengers on the Powder Keg roller coaster failed to stop and collided with an empty train. No injuries were reported. In 2002, 21 people were injured when a 25-foot section of a walkway collapsed. The accident happened as visitors waited in line for the Lost River of the Ozarks ride.
Address: 399 Silver Dollar City Parkway, Branson, MO 65616
Phone: 800-475-9370
Hours: Silver Dollar City is open from mid-March through December. Hours vary frequently. Check the website for current information.
Price: Adults, $59.11; seniors 62 and older, $56.96; children ages 4 to 11, $48.36; children 3 and younger, free.
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis, formerly called Six Flags over Mid America, is 132 acres of thrill rides, roller coasters, water rides, live entertainment and concerts. The park is divided into six themed areas, many of which represent stages in Missouri history.
Sure To Make You Scream The signature ride at Six Flags St. Louis is the Screamin Eagle. This three-mile-long wooden coaster reaches speeds of 62 mph. It may be a classic, but its definitely not your grandmothers roller coaster.
Other Attractions In addition to Screamin Eagle, Six Flags St. Louis features 39 other rides, including seven additional coasters and three water rides. There are also live shows, concerts, kiddie rides and a free water park (open from Memorial Day through Labor Day).
Snacks And Dining Six Flags St. Louis offers more than a dozen dining options. Among these are Johnny Rockets, a full-service, 1950s-style diner; 1904 Classics, which specializes in chili dogs and fries; and Villians Cafe, which serves nachos, burritos, chicken sandwiches and house-made tortilla chips.
Safety Record Our research revealed no notable news reports of accidents or safety issues at Six Flags St. Louis.
Address: 4900 Six Flags Road, Eureka, MO 63069
Phone: 636-938-4800
Hours: Six Flags St. Louis is open from April through October. Hours vary frequently. Check the website for current information.
Price: General Admission, $46.99; children under 48 inches, $36.99; children 2 and younger, free; online tickets, $36.99.
Other Noteworthy Parks Near St. Louis Route 66 Carousel Park
Worlds of Fun
Swing Around Fun Town
Cool Crest
NASCAR Speed Park
Whats your favorite amusement park in St. Louis?
Check out more AMUSEMENT PARKS.
Green the way to go
.Passenger terminals must have a design that takes full advantage of the natural light, he said.
At Suvarnabhumi Airport, passenger terminals are equipped with glass to allow more natural light in, while the energy generated from heated water is converted into electricity for cooling purposes, he added. A solar-powered energy system has also been implemented to supply electricity to the equipment for measuring noise pollution.
AoT also plans to add electric shuttle buses and more hybrid limousines for arriving and departing passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, as well.
To further reduce carbon emissions, AoT will implement fixed electrical ground power (electricity supplied to the aircraft at the gate from a central airport system) rather than relying on running the aircrafts auxiliary power units and burning substantial quantities of fuel to run the air conditioning and on-board electrical systems while on the ground. This energy-saving policy will be implemented at Phuket International Airport, as well.
A new international passenger terminal, which is currently under construction, will be a double-sided glass building to allow more natural light in and prevent heat from entering the terminal to help reduce energy consumption of central air conditioning systems, said AoTs managing director.
The airport will have a unique design that allows relatives and friends to see and be able to wave goodbye to passengers while the plane is taking off, he added.
The new terminal is scheduled to be completed by early 2015. Once built, it will give the airport double capacity _ enough to handle 12.5 million passengers a year.
Phuket [International] Airport is now overcrowded. The maximum capacity of the facility is 6.5 million passengers a year, but the airport served around eight million passengers last year, he said.
With the new international terminal, Phuket International Airport will be able to offer passengers more space at boarding gates as well as shopping areas; the new facility is expected to reach its maximum capacity in 2018.
The total construction cost of the new passenger terminal is 5.7 billion baht, of which 10% will be used for the airports green initiative, he noted.
Phuket gains new attraction
Amusement Centre has opened its second Siam Niramit in Phuket.
The islands new attraction features a performance theatre that will host daily Thai cultural shows with subtitles in six different languages, and can accommodate 1,740 people. Inside, Siam Niramit Phuket presents a village area that showcases samples of traditional Thai houses from the central, south, north and north-east regions, a restaurant, a lake, as well as a floating market.
Located on a 57-rai (9.1-hectare) plot of land off the bypass road near Phuket International Airport, Siam Niramit Phuket is a 2-billion baht investment.
Ready for reopening
Dreamworld, the giant amusement park on Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Road Khlong 3 will finally reopen on Jan 10, after three months of temporary closure due to the massive flooding.
Normally, Dreamworld welcomes about 4,000 visitors each day, including foreign visitors. However, during the peak of the flood crisis, that number dropped by half; Dreamworld decided to temporarily close after floodwaters inundated the Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok area at the end of Oct. It is estimated the amusement park suffered a loss of 150 million baht in damages to its premises and facilities; Dreamworld had set aside a 30-million baht budget for repairs and renovations.
Hotels update
- Centara Hotels amp; Resorts recently announced the soft opening of Centara Taum Bali, the groups first overseas venture with its value brand Centra.
Located in Seminyak, one of Balis best-known leisure and nightlife spots, the hotel is within five minutes stroll to the white sandy beach.
Centara Taum Bali features 90 rooms, including family and pool suites. Each room also has a balcony with a double daybed and a kitchenette with an electric hob oven. Other facilities include a swimming pool with a childrens play pool, plus sun deck, spa and fitness centre.
Centara Hotels amp; Resorts operates 38 hotels in Thailand and 16 resorts in the Maldives, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius Indian Ocean, which brings the total to 54 properties.
- Indigo Pearl in Phuket has launched its new seven private pool villas.
Designed by Bensley Design Studios, each villa is set within a walled garden with two bungalows: one for the bedroom and the other for living space and lounge, dining area, spa and private pool. The size of each villa is 550 m2, and some can even be interconnected to become a four-bedroom suite with about 2,500 m2 of living space.
Visit www.indigo-pearl.com.
- Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga and Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi recently hosted a charity dinner each to raise funds for flood victims and sea turtles.
Both events raised about 320,000 baht.
Airlines update
- Thai Airways International (Thai) and Turkish Airlines have signed a code share cooperation on several routes from Bangkok to Asia and Europe.
By code sharing with Turkish Airlines, Thai can now reach many other European cities through Istanbul, which is another gateway for Thai flights into Europe, as well as destinations in Turkey, according to Piyasvasti Amranand, president of Thai.
The added destinations include Istanbul, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Thai operates 10 domestic and 61 international destinations, while Turkish Airlines operates 45 domestic and 149 international destinations.
- AirAsia will introduce two new daily flights from Bangkok to Nakhon Phanom and Kuala Lumpur to Surat Thani in Feb. The airline will use the new 180-seater Airbus A320 for the added flights; the flight to Surat Thani will begin on Feb 6, while the flight to Nakhon Phanom will start Feb 15.
AirAsia has also dropped the 100-baht check-in fee for all international flights, however, the check-in fee for domestic flights will remain; the policy is aimed at reducing the costs for its passengers.
At present, AirAsia operates 139 routes in its 10 years of service.
Visit www.airasia.com.
- Oman Air has opened a Business Class Lounge on the second floor between concourse G and concourse E at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The lounge can accommodate up to 40 passengers and offers traditional Arabic fayre and oriental dishes prepared under the direction of the chef of the Dusit Thani Bangkok Hotel. Other facilities include an internet corner with free Wi-Fi service and sleeper sofas.
If you have any comments or news to share, send them to karnjanak@bangkokpost.co.th
Save the Fun Zone, Balboa traditionalists say
Save the Fun Zone, Balboa traditionalists say
They launch a Facebook campaign against plans to replace the amusement park with an ocean-themed educational center.
QTA opens biggest amusement centre
Harley-Davidson bikers during the opening ceremony of the park yesterday. SALIM MATRAMKOT
BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Doha Park 2011, the largest amusement centre of the year, marked its launch yesterday to the roars of Harley bikes and vibrant Arabian folk dances and whirling dervishes.
Ahmed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Qatar Tourism Authority and Abdulrahman Jassim Al Sulaiti, Chairman of Economic Group, cut the ribbon to officially open the fun park which is to run for at least six weeks.
As early as 6pm, hundreds of people flocked to the dozens of rides including nine new rides which have never been before in Qatar.
A total of 35 rides are found at the amusement park which is being organised by the QTA for the first time outdoors, beside the Doha Exhibition Centre. They include swing carousel, ferris wheel, caterpillar, carousel, roller-coaster, tagada, drop tower, go kart and bumper cars, among others.
"It is a brilliant idea for the QTA to have the theme park outside the Doha Exhibition Centre as more and bigger rides are now accommodated," said Rajeev, who said his family has been coming to the QTA organised park since its start.
A total of 107 merchandise stalls offering various products such as ready-to-wear clothes, shoes and accessories are also found inside the theme park.
A variety of food products are also available at the 24 food outlets offering Indian, Chinese, Arabic and fast food.
As high temperature starts to subside, the funfair is expected to see thousands of people enjoy family and thrill rides in the open. Today, it is set to welcome more people as it is weekend and is open until 2am.
Mohammad, a Syrian national, said the park is another exciting addition to the entertainment centres in the country especially that Eid Al Adha is coming and people would wish to go places to enjoy the holiday.
Spread on a vast area of 30,000 sq m, the fun park unlike other amusement parks in the country, does not only boast of a variety of rides but of a complete entertainment centre with daily live entertainment shows and circus performances.
A big attraction at the park is a circus tent which can house 1,500 people for daily shows where clowns, jugglers, acrobats and other stunt-oriented artistes are set to amaze crowds with their breathtaking feats.
Another must-see is the 5D theatre in where one will not only experience the movie in 3D, but also experience seat movements, wind, water, fog and feet ticklers.
A large tent which can accommodate up to 1,100 people has been erected inside the park to provide live concerts by famous Gulf artistes, traditional shows, and school contests. Henna, face painting and other activities are also being held daily.
Entry to the park is free but tickets which are reasonably priced are required to avail of the various rides and to get access to the shows.
Tickets for the rides are priced from QR5 to QR25 depending on the type of ride. For the circus show, tickets are priced from QR100 to QR450 depending on the seat, but for students special discounted tickets will be provided.
During weekdays, Doha Park 2011 is open from 9am to 1pm for students and from 3pm to 12am for the public. On Fridays, it opens from 3pm to 2am.
The Peninsula
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