CLIFTON – Elementary school students witnessed an informative, unique presentation last week provided by a science maven who aims to make learning entertaining, practical and current.

During the last 15 years, Dr. Dennis Regling, a former classroom teacher who resides in Ohio, has presented science and math shows for more than 1,400 schools located in 28 states.

An author of several science books for students and educators, Regling began performing library assemblies in 1998 and began receiving requests from schools regarding his presentations in 2001. Over the next 12 years, Regling wrote and produced several programs for elementary and middle schools around the country.

Regling has journeyed to Clifton’s elementary School 11 times in the last four years and hopes to return again in 2014.

His educational performances, which stress fun and laughter as much as they do learning, may include exciting demonstrations regarding the power of electricity, a levitating board using Bernoulli’s Principle or an experiment about liquids, solids and gases which aims to prove whether or not spaghetti can bounce.

Last week, as part of his “Quest For Less” environmental science show, he provided an interactive program for the school’s entire student body that teaches students about their choices in litter prevention, recycling and waste management.

“It’s a lively program that keeps the students enthralled and laughing while delivering important, topical information,” Regling said. “I demonstrate how environmental scientists are using new super absorbents to clean oil spills, waste management problems and much more. Each section is designed to equally inspire, educate, and entertain upper and lower elementary grade levels. The discussion of the ecosystem and importance of clean water, earth, and air ties this program nicely in with elementary iscience curriculum.”

Although the program highlights the “four R’s” – recycle, reuse, reduce and restore – that help protect the environment, Regling’s hands-on science demonstrations steal the show.

America’s landfills are packed with polyfoam, Styrofoam and polystyrene and, though the disposal areas can become immense in size, they are mostly comprised of air. During last week’s demonstration, Regling used a chemical solvent to remove the air from a polyfoam mannequin head.

“It melts gradually into a dish, leaving only a small puddle of styrene plastic,” he explained. “Recycling polyfoam is growing as more plants are built to reuse this product. [Last week’s show] demonstrates how science is tackling the world’s garbage and pollution problems. A combination of real science coupled with practical ways students can reduce waste and reuse items make the show both practical and educational.”