Play opens the windows of learning in a child's life and acquaints him or her with movement, observation, relationships, emotions and much more. Play time is learning for young children. Build towers, read, dance, sing, paint, run and laugh together- and watch your child's learning unfold.
Science CenterIn the Science Center , the child:
Young children are natural scientists. Science taps into the natural curiosity children have about the world around them. Through science, children learn to observe, question, explore, experiment, predict, and solve problems. Science is the process of finding out about the world, asking questions, and learning to solve problems. Fun Science Activities
DIET COKE & MENTOS ERUPTION (K- A tested)
(Do this outside) This is also known as a Mentos Eruption, Soda Geyser or just Diet Coke and Mentos. This is a reaction between Mentos candy and cola. The experiment involves dropping several Mentos candies (usually 5–8) into a bottle of diet cola resulting in an eruption occurring because of rapidly expanding carbon dioxide bubbles on the surface of the Mentos. I recently tried this experiment with three of my grandsons (Ages 6, 8,11; See photo) They all loved it! We quickly put the mentos into the Coke. The reaction starts immediately-so be quick! If you want an explanation: There are various theories being debated as to the exact scientific explanation of the phenomenon, many scientists claim that it is a physical reaction and not a chemical one. Water molecules strongly attract each other, linking together to form a tight connection around each bubble of carbon dioxide gas in the soda. To form a new bubble, water molecules must push away from one another. It takes extra energy to break this surface tension. So, in other words, water resists the expansion of bubbles in the soda. When Mentos are dropped into soda, the gellan gum and gum arabic of the candy dissolves and breaks the surface tension. This disturbs the water connection, so that it takes less work to expand and form new bubbles. Each Mentos candy has thousands of tiny pores over its surface. These tiny pores function as nucleation sites, perfect places for carbon dioxide bubbles to form. As soon as the Mentos enter the soda, bubbles form all over their surface. They quickly sink to the bottom, causing carbon dioxide to be released by the carbonated liquid with which they come into contact along the way. The sudden increase in pressure pushes all of the liquid up and out of the bottle. From: wikipedia.org _______________________ ALKA-SELTZER ROCKET ....is a model rocket fashioned from a 35mm film canister and propelled by the generation of gas from an effervescent liquid. It is often used in science classes to demonstrate principles of chemistry and physics to students. 1. In the experiment, a film canister is filled with water and an effervescent tablet (commonly Alka-Seltzer) and tightly sealed. 2. After a short time, the evolved carbon dioxide reaches sufficient pressure to cause the body of the canister to be launched into the air with a popping sound. 3. The canister may be elaborated with paper fins to resemble more closely af real rocket. (K-A tested) MORE SIMPLE ROCKET LAUNCH... Fill a small plastic film canister (Fuji works well) with one teaspoon of water. Quickly add one Alka-Seltzer tablet, put the lid on and place the canister on the floor with the lid side down. Wait about 10 seconds and whoosh! Your rocket should fly into the air. Lessons based around the Alka-Seltzer rocket can focus on a number of principles... For example, the students are sometimes asked to experiment with the amounts of water and Alka-Seltzer to find the combination which propels the rocket the greatest distance. Alternatively they may derive equations to calculate the speed and velocity of the rocket from the distance it travels. Source: wikipedia.org ____________ BONES! If budget can afford it...purchase a life sized, plastic replica of a human skeleton. The children will be able to investigate how the bones are shaped, how the sizes related to each other and how the joints are restricted or facilitate movement. Children will clearly see how their own bones work. The cost would be about $50 but will be used for many years!.... (I'm known for my wackiness! Play the song Dem Bones-Barb) An inexpensive and easily found alternative for hands-on skeleton activities can be found at the supermarket. Bones from turkeys', chickens' and pigs' feet can be cleaned and given to the children to reassemble. Idea from: findarticles.com _________________ MACARONI SKELETON Materials: Black construction paper (approximately 6" x 11.5") Glue that will dry clear Lima beans (head, thorax, hips) Short, small macaroni in a tube (spine) Thin twisted macaroni (arms, legs) Elbow noodles (ribs) Small shells (joints) Spaghetti (fingers, toes) Black permanent marker Directions: 1. Build a sample skeleton for the children to copy from. Review the key features with them. 2. Guide children to build their skeleton working from the head down (i.e., head, neck/trunk, ribs, etc.), gluing the macaroni and beans to the paper as they go. 3. When they glue and macaroni has set, have them draw a smile and eyes on the "head". TIPS: As preparation for this project, study the human skeleton. Talk about symmetry between the two sides of the body, and how many ribs, fingers and toes we have. Source: Kaboose.com |
What is a Science Project?
WHAT IS A SCIENCE PROJECT?
The idea behind a science project is to see what happens if... What happens to one thing if you change something else while you keep all of the other conditions the same? All of a sudden you're a scientist. That's the heart of all research, and a science project is just another name for research. One thing to keep in mind: Science PROJECTS are NOT the same as science demonstrations. The idea behind a science project is to learn something new--through an experiment. You might guess the result beforehand, but you won't know for sure what will happen until you try out the experiment. A DEMONSTRATION is different. It's fun to show that vinegar and baking soda together cause a reaction, for example. And if the reaction occurs like a volcano, you really do see the reaction explode. But that's all it is--a demonstration. No new information is discovered. You know exactly what the reaction is going to be. PARTS OF A SCIENCE PROJECT: While your science project may be simpler than a scientist's, it still needs to follow the same basic steps that make up the Scientific Process. 1. The Research Question 2. The Hypothesis 3. The Procedure 4. The Results 5. The Conclusion GENERAL CATEGORIES OF SCIENCE-With ideas included in each! 1. TAKE THINGS APART (Technology) When children ask, "How does this work?" help them to find out. • Provide non-working toasters, clocks, VCR’s, tape recorders, radios and other appliances to disassemble. • Remove electrical cords and establish guidelines for taking things apart (Provide adult supervision, at this table, no more than 2 children at a time, etc.). • Facilitators can teach safe use of tools at disassembly stations where screwdrivers, pliers, and bins for sorting screws and small parts are stored. 2. MOVE THINGS AROUND! (Physics) • Ask kids to predict how far cars will roll. Mark predictions with tape and measure the actual distances. • Compare. Change the length and angles of ramps and compare results. • Connect PVC pipes to roll marbles or running water downhill to fill containers or connect with other pipes. • Use pulleys to move buckets of dirt across a yard. • Create wheeled platforms to move heavy objects. • Help children set up ramps at different angles to roll Matchbox cars. 3. CAPTURE THE MOMENT (Biology) 1. When children find a frog, roly-poly bugs, moths, or an anthill, offer a magnifying glass or microscope for looking very closely. 2. If they notice birds building a nest, provide binoculars and help them make regular observations to record what they see. 3. Compare observations over time. Ask children to predict what might happen next (baby birds?) 4. GROW THINGS (Horticulture) • Grow different types of beans in wet cotton and plastic bags; tape the baggies to a window and some in a closet. • Observe and photograph (or draw) sprouting once a week. • Discuss differences in growth patterns and what plants need to grow. Measure and graph plant heights. • Plant a garden and eat harvested vegetables. • Discuss what animals and plants need for growing well. 5. INTRODUCE MEASUREMENT (Math) Offer measuring tapes, rulers, thermometers, balance scales, measuring cups, clocks, hour-glasses. • Stand-on scales and help children weigh and measure everything...shoes, feet, living plants, table heights, how many minutes it takes to eat lunch, how long each child naps, etc. • Record measurements, repeat often, and discuss what changes and what stays the same. 6. CHANGE THINGS (Chemistry) • Observe frozen and boiling water and steam. Discuss what happens when water changes state. • Help children make Jell-O or ice cream. (Remember cooking and making play dough, goop, gak and slime is also science! Anything that turns liquid into a solid is science!) • Ask them to predict the effects of mixing cinnamon, salt, sugar, clean sand, and dirt into water. • Experiment and draw results. 7. STIMULATE A SENSE OF WONDER (Scientific Method) Ask open-ended questions like "I wonder what might happen if..." or "If we change the temperature (or size, or shape, or location), what do you think will happen?" Answer their questions by asking, "How might we find out?" Encourage predictions. Offer materials for experiments. Test out ideas. Discuss results. Ask more open-ended questions. Teachers do not need to have all the answers. What you need is curiosity, a little planning, some interesting "stuff," and pleasure in watching young scientists develop. 8. KIDS LIKE TO COLLECT THINGS Capitalize on this interest by encouraging youth to bring their finds to your program for your science center. Example: • LOTS of kids have rock collections. Do a geology theme and have kids bring in interesting and different rocks and minerals they have collected. • Provide field guides and a mineral test kit to identify each rock or mineral sample. They can learn about the properties of rocks and minerals as they perform tests on their own specimens, checking the streak, color, hardness, luster, and more. The same principle of collecting, identifying, and sharing can be used for botany, insects, and more. Click here if you'd like to visit the Everything about Critters Category. (Insects) |
