Schools
Knowledge Object Experiment at Pennfield
"Knowledge Partners" bring advanced Show-and-Tell to The Pennfield School
PORTSMOUTH, RI – Rigging a sleek 17-foot, black carbon fiber catamaran in the The Pennfield School’s gymnasium Wednesday morning was the starting point for the most radical show-and-tell any of the students had ever seen. Part of a “Knowledge Object” experiment where an item is analyzed with the help of professionals who either create or used the item, students drew connections to physics, materials science and professional sport. In the end, what the participants really wanted to do was go for a fast sail.
“The A Class catamaran was the main topic of conversation at the dinner table after the presentation,” said Lindsay Lyons, who has two children at Pennfield and is the school’s third grade teacher. “My son was really into it and says he wants to learn how to sail now.”
Teachers, parents and students raised their hands high with questions after the excitement of watching videos of the boats hydrofoiling clear of the water at high speeds. Even kindergarteners had questions including, “What happens if you fall off the boat going really fast?”
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The A Class, a single-person boat weighing only 165 pounds with one sail, is the baby cousin of the America’s Cup 72s that hit speeds of 50 mph.
The two “Knowledge Partners” were Ben Hall, owner of Hall Spars and Rigging in Bristol, who built the boat, and Tom Burnham, a top professional sailor and coach.
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“They asked some incredible questions,” said Hall whose carbon products are seen on the largest and fastest sailboats in the world. Hall Spars also makes components for SpaceX rockets and Boeing airplanes. “We got into comparing the strength and weight of carbon versus other materials, and even Bernoulli’s Principle.”
Burnham, who has two children at the school, used the boat to explain how professional sailors train to win Olympic medals and the America’s Cup.
Pennfield teachers plan to use the visit as a starting point to expand their curriculum, digging deeper into different attributes of the A Class and the careers of the Knowledge Partners.
