When I started teaching at Normandy in 1995, I was coming off of an engineering career that was mentally challenging because every project was unique and exhausting because of the long hours on site and extensive travel.

I was enthusiastic.  Normandy was a great school for me because nobody was paying attention.  I could do whatever I wanted, and I wanted to do so many things.  I didn’t care about the time, money or effort, if something seemed like a good idea, then we did it.  The mural was a good idea.

At Open House every year, I explained it to the parents like this.

“Imagine you are relaxing in the Metroparks, when a couple of people ride by on bicycles.  If your child sees those two people, and thinks, ‘I wonder what keeps them from falling over.’ Physics is the class your child has been waiting for.  This is how the physical world works.”

“If your child sees those two people, and thinks, ‘I wonder if they are dating, or are they just brother and sister.’  Physics is going to be tough.  It’s still important to know how the physical world works, but it won’t come easy.”

The mural was intended to portray the mystery and wonder.  No student would understand it until they’ve taken a good physics class.

Keep in mind, this was 1996.  Photos were taken on film, and each photo cost about a buck in today’s money.  There aren’t many and they aren’t good.

Here’s is most of the mural, then I’ll give just enough explanation to give you the idea.