Science Fair Ideas

Do you remember a spectacular sunset? Have you ever wondered what makes the sun and sky seem to change color, or why some sunsets are more colorful than others? Here is a way to use the science of light, called optics, to make your own sunset at home.
1. Fill a small, clear plastic or glass container with water.
2. Place the container about 6 inches from a white wall or background.
3. Shine a flashlight through the water toward the background. Is the light you see on the background the color of the sun in the middle of the day?
4. Now, add a few drops of milk to the water. What color is the light now? Add a few more drops of milk.
5. Experiment with different amounts of milk. Which is your favorite sunset color?

What’s going on: Light is made of waves. White light, from the sun or a flashlight, is made up of different colors, each color having a different wave length. The particles of milk solids scatter the blue and green light, the shortest wave lengths, and only the yellow, orange and reds, the longer wavelengths, pass through. When the sun is low in the sky, the light passes through more atmosphere (and particles) before it reaches us, so more of the blue and green light is scattered, and we see the familiar reddish sunset.

Post what you did with the experiment. Which variables did you change – the amount of milk, the type of light, the shape of container? Can you use what you have learned to explain why the sky looks blue?
Fernwood’s science fair is on the horizon! Projects will be presented 16 April 2010. If you’re interested in helping with the event contact Amy Oliver at AmyROliver@gmail.com.

Science Fair Documents and Information

Our Science Fair is coming soon! Are you ready to do an experiment and prepare a poster for the Science Fair?

SAVE THE DATE - FRIDAY, APRIL 16th from 6:30 to 8:30pm in the Fernwood Gym!

Registration form for entry in the Fernwood Science Fair: Due to the Fernwood School Office by Friday, March 26th.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B5rlgHJl1FKtNmIwYjRkNTYtMzA5NS00ZjgwLWE0YTgtOTdmOGQ3OGJmMDc2&hl=en

Poster Guidelines: Here's how to do it!

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B5rlgHJl1FKtYjFjY2RmOWEtZDUwYi00YzFmLWE2NDctN2JjOWE0YzM0YzU4&hl=en

Questions for the Science Fair:

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B5rlgHJl1FKtZjZmZDQ3NzgtMDgwNi00NmI1LThlNTUtMWZlMzNhZTYxNGMz&hl=en

More Websites to Check Out

Hey, looking for a little more inspiration? Want some new ideas? Check out these websites and let us know what you think!

http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/activitiesIndex.html

http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/tp/kitchenscienceexperiments.htm

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/

This one is really cool. So many different kinds of science represented with lots of ideas of things to do. Highly recommended.

http://www.nationallabday.org/resources

Have 2 minutes? Check out this local girl's video that won her $1000 in the "I am what I learn" contest sponsored by the dept. of education. Jordan is an eighth grader from Sammamish who raises chickens. What can you learn from a chicken? Watch and see.

http://www2.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn/index.html

Cold Weather Science

Well, the weather outside is cold and damp, so you are stuck inside and wishing you could be doing something more interesting. Maybe you are looking outside at the cold and ice, and you wonder to yourself…

Start with a Question: I wonder how fast I can cool my cocoa if I put it outside?

Investigate: Put some warm water (why waste cocoa?) outside and see how quickly it cools. Try a variety of samples with various containers, locations, and other variables you can think of (sun or shade, stirring or blowing, etc.).

Observe and Collect Data: Use a thermometer, watch, notepad and pencil to record how cold the water gets, and how long it takes, and what variables you changed for each of your samples (size of container, location, weather conditions, etc.).

Analyze: Did the water cool? How quickly? Did all the samples behave the same way? Were any of the variables important?

Interpret the data and draw conclusions: Do you think your cocoa would cool down if you put it outside? How long do you think it would take? Are there things you can do to speed it up?

Test it: Use the results to figure out the fastest way to cool your cocoa and see if it works. Challenge someone to a cocoa cooling contest and apply what you have learned to see who can cool their cocoa the fastest.

If you decide to do this experiment, share it with us! Post as a comment what you did, what your variables were and what results you got, or what you observed.

January Nights Can Dazzle

by Rodney Ash / Special to The Seattle Times



January is one of the coldest months and thus not the kind of weather that encourages you to linger outside. However, if there is no wind and you bundle up, you can enjoy some truly spectacular sights.



Mars reaches opposition on Jan. 29, shining at just a little brighter than magnitude -1 (the smaller the number the brighter the object), making it the third brightest starlike object in the night sky. Look for it in the east just after sunset, reaching zenith about midnight. You will quickly recongnize it by its orange hue. It makes an excellent target for the next three months.

Jupiter is sinking low into the west, and Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, shines in the southeast. Also in the southeast, soon after dark, look for the constellation Orion the hunter. He is recongnized most readily by his three belt stars. Of the 20 or so brightest stars visible in the night sky, two of them are in Orion. Orion's right shoulder is the red super giant Betelgeuse. It clearly has a red hue and shines with a luminosity of 105,000 times that of our sun. Next find the blue super giant Rigel, which marks Orion's left foot and shines at a luminosity of 66,000 times that of our sun. It shines with an almost ice-blue light, particularly on cold winter nights, belying the fact that itis one of the hotter stars visible.



Rodney Ash is a member of the Seattle Astronomical Society. Star Watch appears the first Thursday of each month in NWWeekend.

Science of Sports

If sports are your thing, you are still conducting scientific experiments every time you try new ways to hit a baseball farther, shoot your basketball higher, ride your bicycle faster, and do new tricks on your skateboard!

Here are some books that explain the science in sports:

Home run! : science projects with baseball and softball

Goal! : science projects with soccer / Madeline Goodstein.

Science projects about the physics of sports / by Robert Gardner

Sports science projects : the physics of balls in motion / Madeline Goodstein

Experiments with motion / Robert Gardner

Wheels! : science projects with bicycles, skateboards, and skates / Madeline Goodstein

Slam dunk! : science projects with basketball / Robert Gardner and Dennis Shortelle

Bicycle science projects : physics on wheels / Robert Gardner

Why a curveball curves : the incredible science of sports / edited by Frank Vizard

Sports science / Shar Levine & Leslie Johnstone

The leaping, sliding, sprinting, riding science book : 50 super sports science activities / Bobby Mercer

The magic school bus. Super sports fun [videorecording]

Sports science : 40 goal-scoring, high-flying, medal-winning experiments for kids / Jim Wiese

Experimenting with science in sports / by Robert Gardner

Check out these website about the science of skateboarding http://www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding/webcast.html http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0701-science_of_skateboarding.htm

Science of Hitting/by Ted Williams

Physics of Hitting a Baseball link http://www.swing-smarter-baseball-hitting-drills.com/physics-of-hitting-a-baseball.html

Watch the video of Eyes of Nye: 106 Sports on DVD from King County Library

Watch Alan Alda's Scientific American episode "On the Ball" from PBS online at http://www.pbs.org/saf/1206/video/watchonline.htm or from the library as a downloadable e-audio book.

Backyard Science Fun

Here are some suggestions for getting started if you like to experiment with science outdoors. These titles are available through both Sno-Isle Libraries and King County Libraries - check them out!

Backyard laboratory / [from the editors of The New Book of P opular Science]J 507.8 BACKYAR

Backyard science / Shar Levine & Leslie Johnstone J 507.8 LEVINE

Backyard science / Chris Maynard J 507.8 MAYNARD

More nature in your backyard : simple activities for children / by Susan S. Lang, with the staff of Cayuga Nature Center J 508 LANG

The backyard camp-out book / by Douglas Love J 790.15 LOVE

Nature ranger / by Richard Walker J 508 WALKER

The amateur naturalist : explorations and investigations / by Charles E. Roth J 574.078 ROTH

Woodswalk : peepers, porcupines & exploding puff balls! : what you'll see, hear & smell when exploring the woods / Henry W. Art and Michael W. Robbins J 508.352 ART

Backyard pets : activities for exploring wildlife close to home / Carol A. Amato ; illustrated by Cheryl Kirk Noll J 508 AMATO

Just add water : science experiments you can sink, squirt, splash, sail J 546.2207 JUST AD