About
Larry Scheckel is the author of Ask a Science Teacher (Experiment/Workman, 2013) and he taught physics and aerospace science to more than four thousand high school students in Tomah, Wisconsin during his 38 years in the classroom. Named Tomah Teacher of the Year three times, Scheckel received the Presidential Award from the State of Wisconsin for six years. He is the recipient of the Tandy Award, Kohl Award, Wisconsin Physics Teacher Award, Health Physics Society Award, Ron Gibbs Award, and Excellence in Science Teaching Award.
A columnist for the Tomah Journal, Scheckel has written 700 weekly columns. His articles have been published in The Science Teacher and The Physics Teacher. He has shared his expertise with teachers at National Science Teacher Association conventions, Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers, and summer workshops. Scheckel has been a Science Olympiad coach, Robotics mentor, organized field trips and star gazing sessions, and given orientation flights to students. He has given presentations to thousands of adults and students in such venues as Children's Museums, Boys and Girls Clubs, Rotary, and conventions.
Scheckel grew up on a family farm in the hill country of southwestern Wisconsin, one of nine children. He attended eight years of a one-room country school, four years of high school, and served a tour of duty in the Army Trained in electronics as a TV broadcast engineer, he married, graduated from UW-Lacrosse, and started a teaching career.
Larry bicycles through the Driftless area of south central Wisconsin, jogs on the back roads, flies a Cessna 150 over the verdant countryside, works crossword puzzles, reads newspapers, historical books, and trade magazines, and operates radio-controlled planes.
Larry and his wife, Ann, are both retired teachers and live in Tomah, Wisconsin.
Featured Work
Ask A Science Teacher
Fun and fascinating science is everywhere, and it’s a cinch to learn—just ask a science teacher!
We’ve all grown so used to living in a world filled with wonders that we sometimes forget to wonder about them: What creates the wind? Do fish sleep? Why do we blink? These are common phenomena, but it’s a rare person who really knows the answers—do you?
All too often, the explanations remain shrouded in mystery—or behind a haze of technical language. For those of us who should have raised our hands in science class but didn’t, Larry Scheckel comes to the rescue. An award-winning science teacher and longtime columnist for his local newspaper, Scheckel is a master explainer with a trove of knowledge. Just ask the students and devoted readers who have spent years trying to stump him!
In Ask a Science Teacher, Scheckel collects 250 of his favorite Q&As. Like the best teachers, he writes so that kids can understand, but he doesn’t water things down—he’ll satisfy even the most inquisitive minds. Topics include:
The Human Body · Earth Science · Astronomy · Chemistry · Physics · Technology · Zoology · Music ·
and that don’t fit into any category
With refreshingly uncomplicated explanations, Ask a Science Teacher is sure to resolve the everyday mysteries you’ve always wondered about. You’ll learn how planes really fly, why the Earth is round, how microwaves heat food, and much more—before you know it, all your friends will be asking you!
LARRY SCHECKEL taught high school physics and aerospace science for over 38 years. A three-time Tomah (Wisconsin) Teacher of the Year and six-time Presidential Awardee at the state level, Scheckel has shared science with thousands of adults and students in presentations at dozens of venues beyond the classroom including Boys and Girls clubs, Rotary clubs, children’s museums, and conventions. He lives with his wife, Ann, in Tomah, Wisconsin.
