Classroom Resources, Science Fun
Professional Development, Elliott County 2013

We have some specialized equipment/materials that we can bring to your classroom to do programs with your students.
    The ones in bold print could be done on your own or we will help if you would like.
Program
Demo Mostly

Covered in this Program
acids and bases
test various liquids, neutralize them, secret writing*
air and air pressure
use air pressure, explain a straw, crush a metal container, fire an air canon
astronomy
make some instruments: planisphere, astrolabe, use a telescope and sextant*
ballistics
measure a projectile's speed and trajectory
blueprint chemistry
make light sensitive paper and use it to make a picture
bubbles
go inside one, they count and calculate
Cartesian diver
control a diver inside a closed container*
caves and karst * why we have caves near here, cave animals
circuits
build simple circuits with batteries, switches and motors (we have been doing this in 6th grade 4H)
counting big numbers
figure out how long it would take you to count to a trillion*
cryogenics * temperature units, effects: expansion, contraction, state change, physical properties, weather, testing of hypotheses (4th grade field day)
*
density
handle samples of various densities, wood that sinks and rocks that float
discover light
do an experiment to discover the law of how light changes with distance
DNA extraction
from plant or human samples
eclipses * how they work and where they will or have happened near you

electrical safety
how to wire an electric light and what may happen if it isn't done right (6th grade 4H)
electrostatics
build an electroscope, light a bulb with a balloon, pie tin, and a straw,  Franklin's bells

elemental spectra
view electrically and chemically produced spectra, what element was first discovered on the sun
energy
solar, wind, water, potential and kinetic
engineer a bridge
build a bridge and test it under load*
engineer a package
package an egg and drop test your package
engineer a tower
build a tower and crush it.
engineer an impact
make something that will catch a falling object without damage
entomology
catch and identify local insects
force
investigate mechanical advantage with levers, pulleys and measure the force to crush an egg
forensic analysis
identify several common powders by their physical and chemical properties
fossils
examine fossils from local streams as well as from around the world including a dinosaur footprint
frog eggs to tadpoles
raise frog eggs to see how they develop into tadpoles then grow legs then release them*
fuel cells * make hydrogen and oxygen using electrical power then recombine them to power a toy car and lights
geology and our fault
examine the Little Sandy Fault Line where it can be seen in a road cut near Sandy Hook*
gyroscopes
feel the forces that a gyroscope produces and discuss how they are used in space
hot air balloons
build and fly a hot air balloon and discuss the history
human traits
make a "chromosome" that represents a few of your traits, hair and eye color, blood type, what can you taste
ionizing radiation
Geiger counters, natural and manmade radiation sources and how they are used
it came from outer space
meteorites and tektites
juggling
make a set of juggling balls and learn how to juggle them
light
color, speed, power
magic, how to
learn some magic tricks that show how magicians and others use simple devices to convince you of things that are not true
magnetism
magnets, compasses, magnetic and non magnetic materials
make music
create "beautiful" music using fish line, straws, and a cup of water*
measure electricity
use a multimeter to measure voltage, resistance and current and build a battery from pennies, paper and salt water (some of this in 6th grade 4H)
measuring the universe
investigate parallax and learn how it is used to measure the distance to planets and stars
minerals and crystals
grow crystals and examine ones that occur in nature
mixing colors
make a range of colors by mixing others together*
motion
how fast are you moving when you are standing still
motors
motors, batteries, and how they work (6th grade 4H)
optical illusions
how the eye and mind work together to fool us 
periodic table
why do we call it periodic?  Mendeleev's big discovery
pinhole photography
build a camera and use it to take a picture then develop it
plate tectonics * how the earth's surface  rearranges itself over time
puzzles
mechanical, mathematical, logical, and visual puzzles
rockets
build and fly a rocket and measure how high it goes. Use one to carry a payload 
root words
built into most lessons, we point out common components of words mean about the same thing
scale of time
pick some dates and what technology was like then to get a feel for history
science fair * the best projects are ones that the student is honestly puzzled about not found on a web page
senses
hearing, sight, taste, smell, touch, kinesthetic
slime and its chemistry
what is going on with the atoms when the two liquids react*
soil chemistry
measure the nutrients in a soil sample
solar energy
make a solar collector and use it to warm some food
solar system to scale
make drawings of the planets to scale and a separate diagram of their relative positions in space*
sound
vibration, tone, amplitude, dB scale, resonance, how loud are your earphones/buds
sprouting seeds
clear plastic cup, paper towel, corn, bean, radish, flower, etc. seed.  Can you kill them with kindness (too much fertilizer)*
stream chemistry/life
test water quality and see what insects live there
strength of an egg
measure the strength of an egg by having several students stand on it at the same time
telegraphy
build a telegraph and send a message across the room or the continent
temperature
scales, what happens at various temperatures, how it is measured  (4th grade field day)

thermite * a reaction between iron oxide and aluminum that produces light heat and molten iron
toothpick construction
build a structure to specification using toothpicks or spagheti and mini marshmallows
vacuum
its effect on: sound, electricity, marshmallows, deflated balloons
weather events * rain, frost, snow, hail wind, tornados, hurricanes, and how they result from energy flow in the atmosphere.
weather measurement
build a barometer, thermometer, anemometer, rain gage and hail pad*




ancient Egypt
we have presentations on these places that we have visited, most have things for the students to examine
ancient Greece


Africa


Galapagos


Mongolia


Antarctica






Laurel gorge history
If a field trip to the gorge is planned we can discuss one or more of these topics.
Laurel gorge geology


Laurel gorge ecology



The teachers did some hands on activities in each of the topics we covered in this program (those with stars in the last column).
Each can be done in the classroom for little or no cost.

Working on a  problem that can be used to teach math or critical thinking. Reviewing one of the free magazines they can request that have science activities students can do at home.



Building a bridge out of spaghetti to develop some engineering skills.
Doing real, understandable chemistry with borax and PVA (polyvinyl alcohol)  to make colored slime. 
Then mixing samples of the colors to see what color is produced.

Some of the models we used to demonstrate the relative scale of the planets in our solar system, a photo of an eclipse, and the teachers working on their assignments.


Here are some resources that can be consulted for more ideas for hands on activities.

Exploratorium Snacks  Some fun science activities
Edible/inedible experiments Just what it says
Mad Sci Network Look around here for answers to your science questions.
How Stuff Works, 10 scientific laws  Explore this site for a wide variety of science and other info
Vi Hart Unique videos of mathematical ideas (mostly)
Nasco Free lesson plans
Science Bob Simple hands on experiments
Science experiments around the home Biology, physics, and chemistry from a UK site (this link thanks to a young visitor to this page).
Simulations Physics, chemistry, math, earth science, and biology experiments to play with. Elementary to university level.  Change the parameters and seee what happens.

Some web sites on a variety of science topics
    http://www.angelfire.com/mo/sasschool/scie.html
    http://www.bnl.gov/

Supplies
   American Science and Surplus Request their printed catalog
   The Science Company kits and chemicals
   Mansion Schools Good prices on some items
   Nasco  Wide selection of science supplies

Kentucky geology
   Fossil identification

News
New research can be used to stimulate interest.  (Did you see that scientists have discovered a wasp that is only .25 millimeters (.01 inches) long?    How cool is that?)
   Space news
   NASA
   Nature
   New Scientist
   Or go to Google News, Science or Technology pages

On Facebook friend "Physicist Tv" for some interesting links
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnnMOx9_eBY Isaac Newton vs. Rube Goldberg
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwvOCTdIaSE How to be a scientist Rap
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMtXfwk7PXg  Space station science (wet washcloth) with Chris Hadifield.  Check his other videos too.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuxFXHircaI Symphony of Science, E=MC2
Try friending "Science is Awesome" too

An entertaining and informative video series with a unique take on us from an alien's viewpoint
   Earthlings 101: everything you need to know about the planet called Earth

Museums, look around these sites for information for educators
   http://www.exploratorium.edu/
   http://www.cositoledo.org/
   http://www.pacsci.org/


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