WJH studies facts in science fiction

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

There are plenty of science facts in science fiction to make sci-fi both an enjoyable and teachable subject.

At least teachers at Wellington Junior High thought so as they solicited the help of local science writer Gary Raham and a grant from the Poudre School District Foundation to offer a special class for honors science students.

The foundation provided $3,481--mostly used to purchase books--and the teachers wrote a curriculum that coordinated lessons in science, biology and English by using science fiction literature.

As students read their novels or short stories this fall, they met with Raham in small groups to discuss the factual basis of the fiction. Students then selected a personal project, inspired by their reading, to present to classmates.

A former science teacher, Raham is a full-time writer and illustrator who recently published "Teaching Science Fact with Science Fiction." Not only did he share a wealth of knowledge about sci-fi books and authors, he also came to school with a personal collection of science books and maps to explain the concepts students were learning.

"This is a pretty exciting time to live in," Raham told students as he shared recent discoveries in science. On the literature side, he noted that more women have joined the ranks of notable sci-fi writers, but their stories are driven more by character.

Two ninth grade honors students, who admitted they had not read much science fiction before this class, said the quest for science facts helped them get more from their reading. Both chose artistic endeavors for their special projects.

After reading the novel "Earth" by David Brin, Kayla Patterson, 14, made a cross sectional diagram of Earth, showing the orbits of the black holes and the core, lithosphere, hydrosphere, crust, exosphere and biosphere.

The plot of "Earth," set 50 years in the future, describes a possible fate of the world. "It opens your eyes and makes you think where the world is going," Kayla said.

She was particularly impressed with the concept of black holes. "The story has black holes orbiting the earth's core," she noted. "It's fun to think about what it would be like if it were really true."

Danny Baucum, 14, decided to design his own creature to live on the desert planet Arrakis, the setting for "Dune" by Frank Herbert. Class instructions required that his new creature be able to live on the planet based on the facts of the story.

Danny's dune-spider is light color, to blend in with the desert sand. It attracts the tasty sandworm by rapidly tapping the ground. When the sandworm emerges to investigate, it is caught in a thick layer of webbing, giving the dune-spider just enough time to kill it.

Danny said he reads a lot but not much science fiction. "Dune," he said, is a good book, and the effort to separate facts from fiction helped him understand it better.

Ninth graders at Wellington Junior High were the first to tackle the special project. Seventh and eighth graders will get their turn later this school year. This endeavor to "think outside the box" is taking them beyond the galaxy.