Author: Britta Spencer

Kickstart Your School Year with These Hands-On Science Activities

Get to know your teacher!

Have students conduct a claim, evidence, and reasoning investigation about you. This is a great way for students to get to know you right off the bat and organically get to know one another. Before the students arrive, collect some of your personal belongings (car keys, coffee cup, photographs, hobby supplies, etc), sort them into bins, and place them around the room. Once the students arrive, place them in groups and have them collect observations about the items and record those observations as evidence. Next, the students will make claims about you based on that evidence. Finally, they will have to provide their reasoning for those claims.

Create a human sundial

A sundial works because as the Earth rotates, the sun appears to move across the sky. This marks the passage of the day. A sundial can be used to measure the passage of time. A sundial is made up a vertical object, or “gnomon,” and a flat surface, the “dial.” The length of the shadow is determined by the position of the sun on the horizon, the higher the sun, the shorter the shadow.

Group your students into pairs or small groups. Find a spot outdoors that receives sun all day long. Mark a spot where the student will stand. Trace their shadow with chalk. Return outdoors every hour, have the student stand in the same spot, and have the other students trace their shadow again. Bonus points if you have a compass. The sundial can be oriented so the 12th hour faces North.

Make a kaleidoscope

            Materials

  1. Empty toilet paper or paper towel roll tube
  2. Construction paper
  3. Hot glue gun and hot glue
  4. Mylar coated cardstock
  5. Transparent plastic
  6. Tape
  7. Clear, colored beads

Instructions

  1. Decorate the outside of the paper tube, if desired.
  2. Cut the mylar cardstock into a rectangle an inch shorter than the toilet paper tube.
  3. Fold the mylar cardstock into a triangle shape, with the mylar on the inside. You want the triangle to fit snugly inside the cardboard tube.
  4. Slide the triangle into the tube. One end should be flush against the edge of the tube. The other end should end approximately one inch before the end of the tube.
  1. Cut two circles out of the transparent plastic, one so that it fits just inside the tube. The other, so that it fits over the diameter of the tube
  2. Slide the smaller circle into the tube, up against the triangle. Secure the circle with hot glue applied around the edge
  3. Insert beads into the end of the tube on the side with the clear circle triangle.
  4. Tape the second piece of plastic down onto the end of the tube, trapping the beads in the gap.
  5. Cut a circle of construction paper a little bit larger than the diameter of the tube.
  6. Cut a small peephole in the the center of the circle.
  7. Tape the construction paper over the end of the tube opposite from the side with the clear plastic and beads.
  8. Look through the kaleidoscope. Rotate and see what happens!

Kitchen Chemistry: 5 Experiments You Can Eat (Almost)!

Did you know that we use chemistry every single day? Chemistry is the study of matter, and how it behaves. Everything is made of matter! Chemistry explores what things are made of (composition), how things are put together (structure), and how things can transform (reactions). The kitchen is an area of our everyday lives where chemistry plays a huge role. So, let’s roll up our sleeves, put on our aprons, and perform some chemistry!

1. Microwave a marshmallow!

Just a lonely marshmallow…

Several things happen chemically within a marshmallow when it is microwaved. The changes are thermal, physical, and chemical. The microwave radiation heats molecules within the marshmallow. This heating causes a physical change to the gas molecules that exist within the air pockets in a marshmallow. Gases expand when they heat. The marshmallow also undergoes a chemical change as the sugar molecules break down because of the heat.

You will need a microwave, marshmallows, and a microwave-safe plate.

Instructions:

  1. Place the marshmallow on the plate.
  2. Microwave the marshmallow for a short period of time (15-30 seconds).
  3. Observe what the marshmallow does.
  4. Let the marshmallow cool and observe what happens.

What happened when you microwaved the marshmallow? How do you think the structure of the marshmallow played a role in what happened as the marshmallow was heated? What happened to the marshmallow as it cooled? Do you think that change is reversible or permanent?

Yum!!!

2. Make “Science Lemonade.”

This experiment, and the next one, explore acids and bases. Acids and bases are chemical substances with opposing properties. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic (alkaline) a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Acids fall below 7 on the scale and bases have a pH of greater than 7. Neutral substances, like water, have a pH of 7.

A pH indicator is a substance that changes color in reaction to a basic or acidic substance.

You will need 100% grape juice, lemon juice, a couple of clear cups, and baking soda (optional).

Instructions:

  1. Fill each cup approximately halfway with grape juice. One cup will be used for the control (you will not add or change anything to it).
  2. Add a few drops of lemon juice to one of the cups.
  3. Observe what happens.
  4. Continue to add lemon juice, small amounts at a time. Compare to the control cup.
  5. At this point, you may taste your science lemonade, if you wish!
  6. (Optional) Add a small amount of baking soda to the cup containing the lemon juice. Continue to observe what happens. Compare to the control cup.

What did you notice happening to the grape juice as the lemon juice was added to it? Did you get a chance to add baking soda as well? What happened then? Taste the lemon juice. What does it taste like? Acids – when we can eat them – generally taste sour. What type of substance do you think baking soda is?

3. Write a secret message!

This is another fun experiment with a pH indicator and can also prepare young scientists for a future career as a secret agent!

What you will need:

  1. A table covering (painter’s plastic or newspaper)
  2. Water
  3. Baking soda
  4. Turmeric
  5. Rubbing alcohol
  6. Paper
  7. Small paintbrush or cotton swab
  8. Larger paintbrush or sponge
  9. (2) Small bowls for mixing
  10. Measuring spoons

Instructions:

  1. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with half a cup of water.
  2. Dip the cotton swab or small paintbrush in the baking soda solution and use it to write a secret message or draw a secret picture on the paper.
  3. Allow the paper to dry.
  4. Using a new bowl, mix a teaspoon of turmeric into half a cup of rubbing alcohol. Turmeric will stain! Be careful, use a table covering, and consider wearing gloves and an apron.
  5. Once the paper has fully dried, paint the turmeric solution onto the paper using the sponge or large paintbrush.
  6. Observe what happens to the paper and your message.

Take a moment to rub some of the baking soda solution between your fingers? What does it feel like? Did you know that feeling slippery is a common property of basic substances? What did the paper look like after it had dried? Could you read the message? What did you see happen when you painted the turmeric solution onto the paper?

Turmeric acts as a pH indicator because it contains a natural compound that changes color in the presence of acids and bases. How might you test if a new substance could be used as a pH indicator?

4. Take a raisin out dancing!

I bet you didn’t know raisins could have such a good time!

The disciplines of science are often interconnected, and this experiment is fun because it touches on chemistry as well as physics concepts. It is also fun because we get to make raisins dance, and who doesn’t love to dance?

What you will need:

  1. A clear cup, glass, or jar
  2. Warm water
  3. A few teaspoons of baking soda
  4. A few teaspoons of vinegar
  5. Raisins

Instructions:

  1. Fill the glass half full of warm water.
  2. Add a few teaspoons of baking soda.
  3. Add a few raisins. Observe.
  4. Add a small amount of vinegar.
  5. Observe what happens.

What happened when you first added the raisins to the cup of baking soda and water? Did the raisins sink? Then, when you added the vinegar, what began to occur? Were bubbles created? When baking soda and vinegar combine, they create a gas called carbon dioxide. Why does the gas rise to the top of the water? Did the raisins catch a ride to the surface with the carbon dioxide bubbles? What happened to the raisins when they reached the surface? Do you think other items may behave similarly? Why do you think raisins attach to the gas particles so well?

@sciencemadefun

Dancing Raisins

♬ Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix) – MOLIY & Skillibeng & Shenseea

5. Have an edible gelation ball

Gelatin is made up of a protein called collagen. Gelatin works by creating interconnected protein chains that trap water, thus creating a gel. Did you know that collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, where it also attracts and retains water?

For this experiment, you will need a plate, craft sticks, some flavored gelatin, and drinking water.

Start by placing some of the gelatin powder on the plate in a small, flattened pile. Add the water drop by drop onto the gelatin. Allow the gelatin and water to rest for a few minutes. Observe what happens. Use your craft stick to lift up the congealed gelatin. Feel it in your hands. Eat it, if you wish (as long as your hands are clean)!

What did you notice? What was the texture of the gelatin like after you added the water and allowed it to rest? Is it a solid or a liquid?  How do you think gelatin balls may be like some of the matter in our own bodies?

https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/collagen/

Did you find these experiments fun?

Contact your local High Touch High Tech franchise and we can bring even more exciting hands-on STEM activities to you!

5 STEM Experiements to Take on the Road

Summer is here! It is a good time to have fun, but that doesn’t mean taking a break from satisfying our curious minds. We know busy families are often on vacation this time of year, so here are 5 STEM experiments you can take on the road.

  1. Make a balloon powered car!

This experiment explores the scientific concept that for every action, there will be an equal and opposite reaction (Newton’s third law of motion). The air expelled from the balloon creates the force to propel the car forward. Also, the friction and resistance of the car to the surface slows the car to an eventual stop.

What you will need:

  1. Toy Car
  2. Balloon
  3. Tape
  4. Straw(s) – ideally, a variety of several different straws

Instructions:

  1. Tape the opening of the balloon around one side of the straw, ensuring there are no air leaks
  2. Tape the straw to the top of the car
  3. Inflate the balloon through the straw.
  4. While covering the opening of the straw with your finger or pinching the end of the straw closed, place the car on the floor.
  5. Let go of the end of the straw and see your car go!

What did you observe happening? Which direction did the ballon propel your car? Does changing the surface (such as linoleum or carpet) affect how far your car drives? If you were to use a different straw, how might that affect how your car drives? What happens when you use a jumbo straw versus a skinny straw? Do you have a bendable straw? Try putting a bend in it and see what happens. Have a race with your friends!

2. Things that float/sink

This experiment explores the scientific principles of density and buoyancy. Buoyancy is the upward force exerted by fluid (in this case water) that opposes the weight of an object. Density describes how much matter is in a certain amount of space (volume), or how much space a certain amount of matter takes up. An object with low density is going to weigh less than an object of the exact same size with high density.

What you will need:

  1. Bowl/ tub of water
  2. Any collection of objects that will fit within the container of water. Let your imagination run wild!
    • Coins
    • Chinelle stems
    • Pieces of fabric
    • Buttons
    • Small plastic or steel bowl
    • Cutlery – plastic and metal
    • Toy boats
    • Pieces of wood
    • Wine corks
    • Ice
    • Rocks
    • Sticks
    • Leaves
    • Feathers
    • Oil

Instructions:

  1. Take each object and place them in the water
  2. Observe how different objects behave in the water

What are your observations about what happened? What is the difference between the objects that float and the objects that sank? If a fork that is made of steel sinks, how can a bowl (or ship) that is made of steel float? Why does ice float in water? Why do some objects float initially and then later sink (such as the fabric or some types of wood)?

3. Take a road trip movement break and observe gravity!

This one is easy, gives the littles a chance to get some wiggles out, and explores the scientific principle of gravity! Gravity is the invisible force that pulls object towards earth.

Find some open space! Or at least enough space to move around without disturbing others. Jump up and observe what happens. Did you fall back down to Earth? What would happen if you jumped up and there was no gravity pulling you back to Earth?

4. Try skipping rocks!

This experiment is a timeless classic! It explores STEM concepts in physics. There are many forces at play when skipping rocks, but the most fundamental ones are gravity and lift. Gravity pulls the rock towards the water and lift is what pushes the rock up from the water. If the lift from the water is stronger than the gravity pulling the rock down, the rock skips!

You will need to find the right spot. This will include a smooth body of water, such as a calm section of a stream or a lake. You will also need a place where there are a lot of small, smooth stones.

You will also need to find the right rock. Look for a small, roundish or oval, flat rock of uniform thickness that fits well in your hand.

Now, let’s try to skip that rock across the water. Remember, this takes practice! Set the rock in the crook of your pointer finger and thumb. Curl your other fingers underneath your stone. Next, stand up straight with your feet parallel to the water, facing the length of the shoreline. Throw the stone at a side angle, as parallel to the water as possible.

Keep trying until you get it right. If you are struggling, try to get a good spin! The gyroscopic force prevents the stone from toppling over and falling into the water. (Have you ever played with a spinning top?)

Were you able to make it work? What did you discover makes a good skipping rock? Why do you think some rocks are better for skipping than others? Where do you find the best skipping rocks? Are they usually near water? Why or why not?

You don’t have to leave the littlest kids out! If you have kids that are too small to skip rocks, have them Kerplunk! the rocks into the water. Why do you think those rocks sank immediately versus the rocks that skidded across the water?

5. Make a nature walk bracelet

Are you going to be exploring in nature this summer? Study the ecology around you and make a bracelet while on a nature walk! Using duct tape, make a cuff with the sticky side out. As you walk or hike, add things that you find, such as plant samples, flowers, and other nature items to your sticky bracelet. (However, avoid poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. They often have leaves of three; though not aways!)

Can you find an item from each color of the rainbow? Are some colors easier to find than others? Don’t forget! When you get home, look up the items that you found on your adventure.

Did you find these experiments fun?

Contact your local High Touch High Tech franchise and we can bring even more exciting hands-on STEM activities directly to you!

Introducing Biodiversity Britta!

As the newest member of the High Tech High Touch Team here in Asheville, NC I followed the tradition of choosing a science name that honors a part of our individual interests in science. So, why did I choose the name, “Biodiversity Britta?”

I have lived in this part of Western North Carolina since 2004 when I became a student at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Economics. During my lifetime, I have witnessed a lot of changes in the natural world around me, and not all good. As an advocate for the health of our planet, I choose to honor biodiversity because of its importance for life on Earth.

The term “biodiversity” is short for biological diversity, and it refers to every single life on our planet. This includes each animal, plant, fungi, Protista (such as algae), and microorganisms (bacteria and archaea). Biodiversity not only refers to each organism; it also refers to the genetic variation within them. It is a fundamental and integral concept in the study of our natural world.

Earth is a unique place in our universe. It formed in the early days of our solar system, and is thought to be approximately 4.54 billion years old. The earliest known life forms on Earth existed at least 3.7 billion years ago, as evidenced by the existence of carbon molecules in rocks that are consistent with life. Since that time, life on this planet has evolved from the most basic microbes to the plant dominated world that we now live in, where animals also play a significant role in our biosphere. There is an interconnected relationship between every life on this planet.

Humans are a relatively new species on Earth. The first modern humans, Homo sapiens, originated sometime between 550,000 and 750,000 years ago, and have played a significant role in the change of biodiversity. There have been many periods of rapid change in biodiversity in the history of Earth, but within the span of human existence, the most significant change has occurred within the last 100-150 years. This change is the world we know today.

Asheville, NC exists in the Southern Appalachian region of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This area has experienced its own unique changes in biodiversity. In 1995, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae, was discovered in North Carolina in three counties adjacent to Virginia. The HWA originated from Southern Japan, and as such, is invasive to eastern North America. They are small, aphid-like bugs that attach to the base of the pine needles and feed on the starches of the branches. It is estimated that 80% of all eastern and Carolina hemlocks in Western North Carolina are now dead, and much of the blame for that decline can be placed on the HWA.

The implications of this decline are far reaching and is something that I have intimately witnessed over the past two decades living in WNC. By the time the woolly adelgid was discovered in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 2002, the largest record-breaking old growth hemlocks were on their deathbeds. Hemlocks are a riparian tree, meaning they grow in the moist soils along stream banks. Hemlocks are shade-tolerant evergreens, and one of their most important ecological contributions was shading mountain streams. This contributed to the low water temperatures where native aquatic animals, such as Hellbenders and Brook Trout, thrive.

This is not the first rapid change in biodiversity that this region has experienced in recent human history. In the early twentieth century, the chestnut blight wiped out the American Chestnut tree, which had once dominated forests in the eastern United States. Chestnuts had once provided an abundant nutrient-dense food source to humans and animals alike. The loss of species is not limited to plants: we have seen Passenger pigeons, the Carolina parakeet, and bison eradicated. Countless other species are threatened or endangered. There has also been an undesirable proliferation of invasive species beyond the HWA, from feral swine to kudzu, that can be attributed to a loss of biodiversity. Experts estimate that the decline of 42% of threatened or endangered species can be attributed to exotic, invasive species.

The health of our natural world can be measured by biodiversity. Change is inevitable: some as part of the natural evolution of our species on our planet and from anthropogenic causes. Just in my lifetime, I have observed the transformation of the forests I grew up hiking through. What changes have you witnessed in your lifetime? How has your region of Earth changed?

Stay tuned for Part II where we’ll explore why biodiversity is so important for humankind

“Biodiversity” Britta Spencer

https://wordwildlife.org https://earthguide.ucsd.edu https://www.planetary.org/articles/how-old-is-the-earth https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/essential-timeline-understanding-evolution-homo-sapiens-180976807/ https://savehemlocksnc.org/hemlocks-hwa/hemlock-woolly-adelgid/ https://www.americanforests.org/article/the-last-of-the-giants/ https://tacf.org/history-american-chestnut/ https://ncwf.org/blog/extinct-wildlife-in-north-carolina/