The following events are often featured at a typical Wood Magic program. Many of these events are also featured as part of the mobile classroom presentation.
The WMSF is made possible by the generous support of many industry partners and by the cooperation of all departments of the CFR. Students may get to meet "Smoky Bear", or take part in special demonstrations by the departments of forestry or wildlife & fisheries.
The Fair officially begins for each class with the House film, a catchy, upbeat 10-minute film (narrated by a tree) that teaches: 1) how all parts of the tree are used in constructing a house; 2) that 25 trees are used in the construction of an average home; and 3) how five trees are planted for every tree harvested.
This demonstration teaches students about wood preservation techniques.
The Sawmill station lets students see a portable sawmill cut eastern redcedar logs into lumber. Students learn about heartwood and sapwood and are given blocks of the the cut-up lumber.
The Wood Sandwich station is where students learn how plywood is made by comparing it to a grilled-cheese sandwich. They get a chance to test how strong they are by breaking a veneer and then trying to break an assembled piece of plywood.
Students may also make a "Rice Krispy treat" (particleboard) by combining "cereal" (wood particles) with "marshmallows" (resin). Students learn about the many uses and strength of particleboard. .
Students learn all about white-tailed deer and other wildlife that inhabit Mississippi forests.
The Chem-Is-Tree (chemistry) shows students how chemicals made from wod, how charcoal is made, the differences between safety film and old movie film, and other chemical uses of wood.
Participants always enjoy an event called Rock Stars where they guess how much weight a tensile specimen the size of pencil lead can hold before it breaks. The load is increased by pouring rocks into a bucket supported by the sample.
This event provides some understanding of basic biology in a fun format, as "trained" termites follow ink of a given color (actually they follow a chemical pheromone trail).
Musicians among the staff show the students another important use of wood and play various musical instruments made of wood.
Daily Wood teaches the students how much wood is consumed by each of us daily and shows the varies uses made of wood. Importantly, students are told the success story of reforestation, and much of the misinformation regarding the history and coverage of our forests is debunked. Teachers are given resource materials and contact information for useful teaching aids. Students help presenters make paper at the Papermaking station. The program is usually capped off with a demonstration of wood properites, including density, hardness, and permeability at the Bubbling Bazookas event where students turn small red oak billets into bubble blowers. A competition crowns the "champion of the tent" for having the longest bubble stream.
