“Oh, wow! Oh, my!” said Nathaniel Robichaud, 9, of Lewiston, as he pulled a three dimensional triangle from a tub of soapy water.

Robichaud had predicted each face of his geo-pane would be a soapy, iridescent bubble.

What actually happened amazed all at Museum L-A’s Science After Hours educational program Tuesday after school.

“All the bubbles connected in the middle!” said Joshua Lajoie, 9, of Hebron.

Late afternoon light streamed through the old mill windows as Joan Beal, retired teacher and educator at Museum L-A, combined a lesson on history with science and mathematics.

“The idea is to provide an outside-of-school, hands-on science experience which stimulates ideas of invention and engineering, while keeping with L-A’s history,” she said.

The boys were introduced to Lewiston’s rich history in the shoemaking industry, then shown how it melds with science and geometry.

Paul Jalbert told the boys about his father, Adrianne, who held a number of patents in the shoe industry. After discussing shoemaking and its ties to geometry, the trio moved on to experiment with geo-panes constructed from toothpicks and clay balls.

“We don’t want to just be a museum with old stuff to look at,” Susan Beane, public relations coordinator and archivist at Museum L-A, said. “We want to tie the past to the future. The museum is about making connections. We’re inspiring their creativity and innovation.”

In one week’s lesson, Beal taught the kids about hydropower and how it was used to power the mills.

In another week, they built loop gliders and talked about the restoration of the 1950s era Lockheed L-1649A Starliner by Lufthansa Technik. 

“I try to make every lesson relevant to everyday life,” Beal said.

Not only are the lessons relevant, they are fun as well.

“My favorite project, so far, has been the loop gliders,” Bram Dustin, 9, of Hebron, said. “I liked seeing what would make them go farther and faster.”

What: Science After Hours

Where: Musuem L-A, 35 Canal St., Lewiston

When: April 4 & 11

Time: 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $8 per session

What: April Vacation Programs for ages 5-8

Where: Musuem L-A 35 Canal St., Lewiston

When: April 18 & 19

Cost: $10 per day or $15 for two days

What: Vacation Innovations for ages 9-12

Where: Musuem L-A 35 Canal St., Lewiston

When: April 18 & 19

Cost: $10 per day or $15 for two days

FMI: Contact Joan Beal at [email protected] or 207-333-3881