Youngsters show space knowledge

     By Tina Allen
     View staff writer
      Aliens recently landed at Antonello Elementary School.
      Their quest? To find the power.
      Goo-Goo and Me Too, better known as James Grady and Mina Davis, both first-graders, have actually been on a mission to gain knowledge in a science class under the direction of Sandra Bojtos Hart.
      After all, as she told them, "knowledge is power."
      The first-grade class had a chance to demonstrate just what they had learned throughout the year to parents and classmates in a presentation May 26 called "Space, Science and Other Things." The show, filled with simple science experiments, was preceded by a play titled "Landing the Endeavor" put on by the children dressed in NASA outfits and, of course, alien costumes.
      Hart's classroom isn't the typical lab with microscopes and test tubes. Rather, her closet is filled with common household items, including baking soda, vinegar, balloons, strings and sponges. She calls it Supermarket Science.
      Hart, who began teaching in the Clark County School District in August, has presented the show with her former middle school classes in Guam, where she taught for seven years with the Department of Defense.
      In fact, her enthusiasm in working with the children earned her the 1996 National State Teacher of the Year in Guam. She was one of 55 teachers in the United States and its territories selected for the award. Along with the honor came a trip to an international space camp in Huntsville, Ala.
      "It sparked my interest in science," Hart said. "It was the most exciting thing in my whole life going through the astronaut training and all the different challenges that space camp offers."
      She said this is the first time she ever tried having younger children perform the show, which has grown over the years.
      "When they came in here, they didn't even know how to read," Hart said. "They are really good; they are all interested in space."
      Not only were they able to read the script, the children were able to memorize lines filled with words for advanced readers.
      "It's important for me to get them motivated, No. 1. Usually when I have the older kids I'll ask how many people hate science and they will raise their hands," Hart said. "It's important for the girls to know that they can also become astronauts or be anything they want for that matter. I like to get them fired up, and every little kid I've ever known loves space."
      Seven-year-old Jenna-fer Littlefield already has her sites set on going to the moon, she said.
      "She's a really fun teacher. She does fun science, and she's really cool," Littlefield said. "When we grow older, we will kind of know a little more about science and space."
      Javon Quarles' interest has been piqued throughout the year by the science experiments that have been done in class.
      "She's a good teacher," said Quarles, 7. "She does cool science."