Pollution Catchers

Create pollution catchers to observe and compare the air in different locations.
To make the pollution catchers:
Take 4 index cards and create a hanging loop out of string and tape for each one. Smear the unlined side of each index card with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Hang 3 of the cards in various locations. Put the 4th inside a plastic zip-top bag as a control. After 2 days, put each index card into a zip-top bag and compare what is on them using a magnifying glass.

Water Habitats Unit

Fall 2008
Duration: 8 weeks

Concepts:

• How do we define living things? They move, breathe, grow, eat, excrete waste, and show sensitivity (to temp, light, etc.).
• Classify items as living or non-living.
• Classify living items as plant or animal.
• Classify animals as vertebrates or invertebrates
• Classify vertebrates as mammals, reptiles, snakes, amphibians, fish, or birds

• Understand that all living things have a habitat
• Describe elements of a habitat (food, water, shelter)
• Classify water habitats as wetlands (swamps, marshes, bogs), ponds/lakes, bay/ocean
• Classify animals as mammals, reptiles, etc.
• Explain why different habitats contain different forms of plant life

• Identify plants and animals in each of these habitats
  

*Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons
*Dolphins and Sharks: Magic Treehouse Research Guide

• Observe, record, and explain observations about a simple water habitat

• Understand the concept of a food chain
• Explain and record a food chain in a water habitat

Soggy Popcorn

Q: How does the amount of moisture affect the size and volume of popcorn?

Procedure:
1. Put 2 cup of yellow popcorn kernels into each of 2 glass jars with lids. Label one "A" and one "B".
2. Close the lid tightly on "A".
3. Add 1/8 cup of water to "B" and close the lid tightly.
4. Put 1 cup of popcorn on a paper towel and spread them around in an even layer. This is sample "C".
5. Leave all the samples in a cool, dry place for 7 days. Turn the glass jars once a day and record any visible changes.
6. Pop all samples 1/2 cup at a time. With each batch, measure the total volume. Measure 10 popped kernels and calculate the average size. Rate the batch as small- less than 1/2 inch, medium-1/2-3/4 inch, or large-more than 3/4 inch.
Compare.

Other ideas: compare different types of popcorn, or popcorn stored in other locations such as the refrigerator or freezer.

Flower Power

Q: How do different additives affect the freshness of flowers?

Control: a flower in plain water.
Experimental conditions (2 liters each):

• Commercial preservative
• 1/2 teaspoon bleach, 3 Tablespoons sugar, and 4 teaspoons vinegar
• half a liter of lemon-lime soda and 1/2 teaspoon bleach, add 1/4 teaspoon bleach every 4 days
• 1/4 cup mouthwash
• a penny and one aspirin tablet

Hot Cocoa, Anyone?

Experiment with temperature of liquids using cocoa.
Try making cocoa in different cups and see how it affects the cooling rate.
Try mixing half boiling water and half cold water and see how it affects the temperature.

Fall Colors

Compare the fall colors of leaves from various trees.
Use a field guide to identify the leaves.
Practice observation skills by describing the differences between the leaves and describing the coloring in detail.

Popcorn Fever

Q: How does the temperature at which you store microwavable popcorn affect how well it pops?

Materials:
10 bags microwave popcorn

Label 3 bags "refrigerator", 3 bags "counter", and 3 bags "freezer". Leave one bag unlabeled. Put the bags in their spots (leave the unlabeled bag on the counter). Wait 24 hours.
Microwave 1 cup of water for 1 minute to preheat the microwave.
Put the unmarked bag in the microwave and pop it until the rate slows to 2-3 seconds between pops. Stop the microwave and note how long the popcorn was in there.
Take 1 bag out of the freezer and microwave it for the time noted above. Take the bag out of the microwave, measure the popcorn and record the volume. Pour the popcorn onto a cookie sheet and count the number of unpopped kernels. Repeat these steps for the rest of the popcorn.
Average the results for each group and compare.

Notes: Popcorn pops because of the starch and moisture inside the kernel, and the hard shell surrounding the kernel. When the moisture inside expands, the popcorn pops.
When heated, the starch expands, forming thin, jelly-like bubbles. The starch bubbles fuse together with the ones around them, creating popcorn.

From: Prize-Winning Science Fair Projects for Curious Kids by Rhatigan & Newcomb

The Way the Ball Bounces

Q: How does the height from which you drop a ball affect how high it bounces?

Attach 2 yardsticks to a wall and drop a ball from varying heights to see how high it will bounce.
Graph to compare. Also try the experiment with different balls or different flooring materials.

Notes:
Discuss the difference between potential and kinetic energy.

Bean Race

Which beans grow the fastest- butter beans, kidney beans, aduki beans, soy beans or cannelloni beans? The children in your summer or after-school program can do this fun, easy science experiment over the course of just a few days to observe which bean sprouts the fastest and grows the tallest.

Select a variety of dried beans and soak them in water overnight. The beans should be covered while left to soak.

Fill a glass with a damp paper towel wrapped around the interior of the glass (the edge of the towel should touch the bottom of the glass). Place the beans approximately halfway up spaced around the inside of the glass so that the children can observe the beans as they sprout. Place the glass in a sunny location and have children monitor the beans over the next several days as they sprout. The towel should be kept damp but not soggy.

The bean that sprouts the fastest and grows the tallest is the winner! Read more about sprouting beans and growing other plants indoors at the Bizarre Labs website.

Swinging Cereal

Try this simple experiment from HomeRoomTeacher.com ( http://www.homeroomteacher.com/infoeasyscienceexp eriments.html) to explore static electricity. This experiment works best on a day when the weather is dry.

You will need a rubber or plastic comb, thread, and small dry pieces of O-shaped cereal. Tie a piece of cereal to one end of a 12-inch piece of thread. Attach the other end of the cereal to the end of something so that the cereal does not hang close to anything else (a table edge is a good place for this).

Use a brand-new comb or, if using a "pre-owned" comb, wash it first to remove any oils and dry it well. After it has dried, charge it by running it through long, dry hair several times or vigorously rub it against a wool sweater. Slowly bring the comb near the cereal. It will swing to touch the comb and then jump away by itself. Try to touch the comb to the cereal again- the cereal will jump away as the comb approaches!

What happened: combing the hair (or rubbing the comb against a wool sweater) moved electrons from the hair/sweater to the comb. The comb had a negative charge. The neutral cereal was attracted to it. When they touched, electrons slowly moved from the comb to the cereal. Now both objects had the same negative charge, and the cereal was repelled.

Tutti Frutti Watercolors

You will need a variety of .13 to .23 ounce powdered unsweetened drink mix packets (such as Kool-Aid, Wyler’s, etc.), small cups, paintbrushes, paper and warm water.

For each color, combine one drink mix packet and two teaspoons of water in a small cup, stirring until the mix is dissolved. Refrigerate any leftover paints in airtight containers for up to three days.