Tag: hands-on science

Books, Education, Homeschool, Nature, Science/Math

Perfect Picture Book Friday: FROM SEED TO PLANT

Kirsten W. Larson

Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Fridays are back. I missed the boat last week, but I wrote my post early this week so I wouldn’t forget.

TITLE: From Seed to Plant

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Gail Gibbons

PUBLICATION INFO: Holiday House, 1991

ISBN: 978-0823410255

SOURCE:  library

INTENDED AUDIENCE: ages 5 and up

GENRE: nonfiction

OPENING and SYNOPSIS:

“Most plants make seeds. A seed contains the beginning of a new plant.”

Gibbons moves through a plant’s life cycle, showing children how seeds are formed through pollination, how they are dispersed, and how they grow into new plants.

THEMES/TOPICS: nonfiction, educational, nature, science

WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: Cooper was working on a plant life cycle project for school this week, and we checked this book out from the library. Gail Gibbons is a nonfiction favorite in our house. She uses beautiful drawings and simple writing to explain science concepts in a way young children can understand.

RESOURCES/ACTIVITIES:

  • The book has a “Seed to Plant” activity in the back using bean seeds. It’s a different take on the classic bean sprout in a baggie activity used in many preschool classrooms.
  • We’ve also done seed collections before to spark discussion about the different types of seeds and how they are scattered. You’ll find that activity…here.
  • Finally, for older students, you can try the plant life cycle project that Cooper’s class did. Students had to collect five different types of seeds and draw or collect pictures that showed the seedling, mature plant, flower and fruit. They had to label each stage, and I had Cooper draw arrows so he could see that the whole cycle is a circle. I’ll blog about our project next week.

Every Friday bloggers review “Perfect Picture Books.” Find a complete list of book reviews organized by topic, genre and blogger at author Susanna Leonard Hill’s site.

Science/Math

Senses Science: What’s That Smell?

Kirsten W. Larson

IMG_2948

“Ewwww. I smell broccoli!”

“Mmmmmmm, cookies.”

“Finley’s stinky!” (Actual quote.)

Smell is one of the five ways we learn about our world, along with sight, sound, taste and touch. For most animals, their sense of smell is their sharpest. It helps them hunt, find out where they are going and locate family members. Human noses are not quite as sensitive, but we can still detect more than 10,000 different smells!

For scientists, their five senses are important tools, whether they are studying animals in the field or creating new chemicals in a lab. Here’s a fun activity to help your budding scientist hone his or her sniffing skills.

What you need:

  • 3 or more small containers (Note: We used test tubes from Learning Resource’s Primary Science Set.)
  • Cotton balls (for liquids)
  • Smelly stuff: citrus peels, herbs, spices, coffee beans, vinegar etc. (Just make sure whatever you are setting out is safe to sniff. Avoid harsh chemicals.)
  • Handkerchief or blindfold

What you do:

  • Put a little bit of smelly stuff in each test tube.
  • Blindfold your child and hand him or her each test tube in turn. (Note: Sniffing coffee beans in between each test tube can help cleanse the nose’s “palate.”)
  • Ask questions: What does it smell like? What does the smell remind you of?
  • Challenge your child to guess what’s in the test tube.

A good extension would be to have children record their observations and guesses in a science journal. Younger children could draw pictures of their guesses instead of using words.

Do you want to learn more about your sense of smell? Check out these kid-friendly links:

Science/Math

Science Fun: Water Balloon in a Bottle

Kirsten W. Larson

It’s still warm — ok, hot — in our part of Southern California, so this experiment from Steve Spangler Science was a fun way to cool off. We used it to discuss how air is “stuff” even though we can’t see it.

Air takes up space in a one-liter bottle, which you find out when you try to blow up the balloon inside the bottle. You can’t do it because the air already in the bottle has nowhere to go. When you poke a hole in the bottle, the air filling the bottle can escape as you blow air into the balloon. Really, the water balloon part is just for fun.

The boys enjoyed the final part of this experiment the most. The Steve Spangler team shows you how to splash your friend as he or she looks at your water balloon in the bottle. The boys got to splash Daddy, which they found hilarious. File this one away for April Fool’s Day.

The experiment requires only a few household items:

  • One liter bottle
  • Duct tape
  • Balloon
  • Tack or pushpin
  • Water

You can watch the how-to video…..here.

Outside, Science/Math

Scoping Things Out

Kirsten W. Larson

Much to our parents’ chagrin, my husband and I still have “stuff” stashed in their attics on the other side of the country. My Mom and Dad boast my Barbie dolls. My in-laws house lots of LEGOs. Occasionally, our parents bring an extra suitcase brimming with childhood treasures: Fisher-Price campers, American Girl Dolls and the like.

My husband’s latest endeavor is convincing his mom to bring his childhood microscope, especially since our boys are budding scientists. For some investigations, our assortment of magnifying glasses just won’t do, and purchasing a new microscope is a big investment. Recognizing a microscope migration may not happen immediately, I discovered a near-term substitute on Colleen Kessler’s Raising Lifelong Learners blog: the Carson Microbrite Pocket Microscope.

The Carson Microbrite arrived yesterday ready to go. It included the required batteries, and the instructions were easy to follow. You can adjust the magnification from 20 times to 40 times with a wheel, then focus with the lever. Press and hold a button, allowing the LED light to illuminate your specimen. The kit includes two slides with covers and a detachable slide “stage.”

We took it outside for a test drive yesterday morning. A roly-poly (aka pill bug) provided the most amusement. Magnifying him 40 times, we could watch his legs wriggle and his mouth parts move. Observing a flower, we could see the presence of pollen. We also looked at rocks, dirt, pine tree parts. This microscope’s portability makes it perfect for outdoor play or hikes: no need to wait until you are home to look at your specimens.

I found our Microbrite for under $10 on Amazon. At that price, it’s a perfect addition to your science tools.

Homeschool, Nature, Outside, Science/Math

Monarch Migration

Kirsten W. Larson

First I send a big thank you to fellow blogger Mamadestroy for prompting this post and providing the source materials. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Some of you have been following our adventures as we attempt to grow painted lady butterflies from caterpillars. Our little guys should be making a chrysalis any day now.

Now here’s your chance to get into the butterfly act and become scientists from the comfort of your armchairs without committing to raising caterpillars.

Scientist need your help tracking monarch migration. Each fall, monarchs migrate to Mexico (and some to Southern California) where they spend the winter. Come spring, the females return to the U.S. and lay their eggs on milkweed in the southern U.S. Once the caterpillars hatch into butterflies this new generation continues north for the summer.

Monarch migration is mysterious. The butterflies overwinter in the same forests year after year. Amazingly, these butterflies know where to fly even though no monarch makes the trip to Mexico more than one. Still, logging in Mexico has made monarch migration a “threatened phenomenon” since many of the trees where monarchs spend the winter have been destroyed.

You can help the monarchs. Record sightings of monarch butterflies, eggs and caterpillars, as well as milkweed (their food source)….here. This data helps scientists learn how climate change and other factors affect this butterfly beauty.

The site also has integrated maps of reported sightings…here. The Kids section provides a host of resources, including videos of caterpillars hatching from their eggs and butterflies bursting from their chrysalis. National Geographic Kids also has a wonderful overview of creature including video…here. If you are a teacher or homeschooling parent, these resources would be an excellent accompaniment to a spring unit or caterpillar study.

Have you seen a monarch in your neighborhood? Report it and help scientists learn more about this fascinating creature.

Books, Nature, Outside, Science/Math

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Bug Shots

Kirsten W. Larson
Author: Alexandra Siy
Illustrator: Dennis Kunkel
Publication Info: Holiday House, 2011
Intended audience: Ages 6 to 10
Genre: nonfiction, picture book
Themes/topics: science, nature, insects
Opening and synopsis: ”Bugs bite. Some drink blood. Bugs rob. They steal food from gardens and fields. Bugs kill — mostly each other, but also plants, animals, even people sometimes. Bugs destroy. They eat houses, clothes, and furniture. Bugs bug. (Is bugging a crime?)”
In her latest book, Siy invites children to become Fellow Bug Investigator (FBI) agents, surveying page after page of bug “mug shots” (photomicrographs) and learning more about them via their “rap sheets.” Thus informed, Siy encourages  children to deliver a verdict: are bugs good, bad or just plain bugly?
Why I like this book: Siy is one of my favorite nonfiction science writers for children. We love her Cars on Mars book, which chronicled the adventures of Spirit and Opportunity as they roved the Red Planet. She has a snappy, engaging style that ensures her subjects are never boring. With that said, this book would be nothing without Kunkel’s photomicrographs — essentially colorized pictures taken using a scanning electron microscope. Imagine a honeycomb-like grasshopper exoskeleton magnified more than 3000 times. Picture the hairs on a water strider’s legs magnified 2100 times, so you can truly understand how it walks on water. Even my three-year-old wants me to read him this book because the pictures captivate him.
Resources: This would be a great addition to any unit on bugs. Teachers and homeschoolers also can reserve time on the University of Illinois’s BugScope so kids can control the scanning electron microscope on their own while taking a close up look at the bugs they captured.
At home w collect our own bugs and look at them using our 99-cent magnifying glasses (thank you 99 Cent Store). I also bought a bug catcher at Target for a couple of dollars a few weeks ago. This can provide endless hours of entertainment on a nice spring day. A friend introduced me to Insect Lore a wonderful Web sit chock full of fun bug products. We just ordered painted lady larvae. Finally, Penn State has a list of fun bug  sites for kids….here.

Every Friday bloggers review “Perfect Picture Books.” Find a complete list of book reviews organized by topic, genre and blogger at author Susanna Leonard Hill’s site.
Science/Math

Color Changing Liquids part 2

Kirsten W. Larson

We recently tried an experiment from Steve Spangler Science, one of my favorite sites. You can find full instructions for the experiment….here, though we made a few modifications. Here’s our set up and what was supposed to happen:

The blue and green liquids (test tubes on the right in each stand) were mixed using cold water. The red and yellow liquids (test tubes on the left) were mixed using hot water. We put the blue (cold) water on top of the red (hot) water. We put the yellow (hot) water on top of the green (cold) water. We expected the heat to rise and cold to sink in each situation. So, we expected the cold blue to sink into the hot red and create purple. We expected the hot yellow to be perfectly content on top of the cold green, therefore not mixing at all. This is indeed what the beautiful video on Spangler’s site showed.

However, we learned a thing or two about how precise one has to be with science experiments. Here was our result:

Whoops! This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. The yellow-green at left wasn’t supposed to mix together. However, I had used an old recipe card to separate the two test tubes, before I placed them one on top of each other. Pulling out the recipe card wasn’t easy, and I think I ended up lifting up the top test tube, introducing some air and force that caused the two liquids to mix. Spangler had opted for a waxy playing card, which I’m sure slipped more easily. So, we talked about how careful scientists need to be with their experiments to produce accurate results.

Seriously, if you try this at home, follow Steve Spangler’s lead and use something slippery (a playing card) to separate the two liquids. It will pull out from between the test tubes much more easily. Oh, and this is very messy, so we recommend putting a cookie sheet underneath your workspace. We always have fun with these experiments even when we aren’t successful!

Geography, Nature, Science/Math

Creating your own compass

Kirsten W. Larson
Do-it-yourself compass

Our favorite nonfiction picture books include related, hands-on activities. I think these are a great way for children to learn and expand upon the information in the book itself. As I mentioned previously, I’m working on a navigation picture book. Along the way, I’ve collected some wayfinding activities I hope to include at the end of the book.

Of course I would never include an activity I hadn’t tested myself. Today’s task: make a compass.

Steve Spangler Science has a good version of this activity. He uses wax paper as the float. I sliced a thing piece of cork, about 1/4 inch. Also, I used a common household magnet, rather than one with a north/south designation. This meant I had to calibrate my compass with the known directions.

I wouldn’t recommend taking this sloshing compass with you on your next camping trip, but it’s fun to try at home. Let me know if you do and whether it works for you!

Science/Math

Ooooooooo blech!

Kirsten W. Larson
Playing with Oobleck (aka Arp) at the Exploratorium

Ooooooo blech: the recognition that something is both astoundingly cool and disgustingly yucky. Now I know why school children call this cornstarch/water mixture Oobleck.

Since I don’t have children in school, the first time I encountered Oobleck was at San Francisco’s mega hands-on science museum, the Exploratorium. An exhibit had this liquid (or is it a solid?) in a giant drum. Press a button, and the drum shook rapidly. The Oobleck turned into a solid until the shaking stopped. I had to try this magic at home.

Fortunately Cooper’s Mind Blowing Science Kit had the recipe: 1/8th cup water and 5 T. cornstarch. Mix it up and enjoy the magic. During stirring, Oobleck becomes solid at the bottom of the bowl and difficult to move. But, if you stop stirring and gently touch the top, it feels like a liquid. The process of hardening under pressure or intense shaking is the opposite of the liquefaction that occurs during earthquakes.

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, also called a shear-thickening liquid, but it’s not the onlyone. Gravy thickens when you stir it (or so you hope). Struggle in quicksand, and it will be more difficult to escape. These substances defy Newton’s principle that applying pressure twice as hard to a liquid should move the liquid twice as fast. Good luck if you try that with Oobleck. Here’s a great explanation of Newton’s theories.

Mix up these common household ingredients, and check it out. I have to admit, I had even more fun than the kids.

Homeschool, Science/Math, Toys

Chemistry Experiment 2: Color Changing Liquids

Kirsten W. Larson

Our second mind-blowing science experiment was dubbed “Color Changing Liquids,” an experiment you can easily do at home without special equipment. Our science kit included red cabbage juice powder, which we added to two separate cups of water to create a purplish-colored indicator (a substance that changes color when mixed with an acid or base). To make your own indicator, simply shred some red cabbage and soak it in water overnight. Strain it the next morning, and you are ready to test!

To our first cup, we added citric acid (you could use vinegar), which turned the liquid red. To the second liquid, we added baking soda, which turned the liquid blue, indicating a base. Then, we mixed the two liquids together. The acid and base neutralized each other, creating a purple liquid and released carbon dioxide just like in the “dancing powders” experiment.

Steve Spangler Science has some variations on this experiment. These include ideas for other acids and bases to test and  how to create your own pH  test strips from red cabbage juice. Enjoy!