Cottonwood Elementary students got a glimpse into the world of glass making last week.
Bill Russell of AGC Flat Glass in Spring Hill paid a visit to the Paola school March 8 to share his knowledge of the business with the young students, including his 8-year-old daughter, Jane.
Russell set up shop in Susie Atkins’ science and social studies’ classroom, and he used examples of different types of glass and a slideshow to capture the students’ attention during his presentation.
The students learned that glass is primarily composed of sand, carbon and limestone, which is heated in a large furnace until the material gets a consistency similar to taffy, which allows the workers at AGC to stretch it and shape it to the appropriate dimensions.
Russell said he works close to the furnace, with one of his duties being to check its temperature every 20 minutes.
Many students were shocked when they learned that AGC makes 600 tons of glass a day.
“Wow, that’s a lot of glass,” one student whispered to a classmate.
Other students were impressed that Russell has been working at AGC for 13 years.
“That’s before I was even born,” one student professed.
Russell didn’t just explain how glass is made, but he also talked about the many uses for it, such as windows and doors.
“Think how much harder life would be if we didn’t have glass,” he said.
