What it’s all about
The general consensus was that Ryan started it - and while there was only anecdotal evidence to support this, Sam’s mum had no doubts. Ryan was bullying her son and something needed to be done, writes Steve Eddison.
Sam’s mum brought Sam’s dad with her. This was the first time they had spoken to each other in six months. The miracle of Ryan’s dad being there was an even better omen. He was 13 the last time he had been to school of his own free will.
That’s when I had the light-bulb moment. “What about a Lads and Dads Club? If you dads brought your boys to our club, you could show them how to interact positively with each other in an environment that demands cooperation and team work.” I could even squeeze some science into the equation.
Lads and Dads Club was making balloon-powered racing cars and it wasn’t long before the two men, and their boys, were busily engaged with each other, offering design advice and jointly constructing axle assemblies.
By the time the cars were lined up some friendly rivalry was evident. By the time the race got under way, the pit crews were revved up to screaming point. When the chequered flag came down, all hell broke loose.
The general view is that while Ryan’s dad’s car was first over the line, it was Sam’s dad who threw the first punch.
What else?
Inspire pupils to make their own balloon-powered car with an instructional video from Steve Spangler Science, bit.lyBalloonCar. Set up your own science club, check out TESGA’s case study of a school STEM club, bit.lystemClub.
