*****Want a little more personal help? Come to the science workshops Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Fernwood library during lunch recess starting March 21st.
We’d love to see you!*****
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Need a Little Help for the Science Fair?
*****Want a little more personal help? Come to the science workshops Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Fernwood library during lunch recess starting March 21st.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
2011 Science Fair Documents are here!
Have you thought of what question you want to try to answer for the Science Fair this year?
Our Science Fair is coming on Friday, April 15th!
Read about our Science Fair Guidelines, get your registration document, and check out some good questions to get you started thinking about what you are interested in doing for the Science Fair.
Science Fair Registration document: (These will be due back to school by Tuesday 29 March 2011)
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5rlgHJl1FKtOTJhNWQwYjEtZWU3MC00ZjY0LWFlMDgtMjgzZjI4ZWYxMjA3&hl=en&authkey=CJOEmtELcom/viewer?
Science Fair Questions:
Science Fair Guidelines:
Remember, the most important thing to do is have fun!
Here are some websites to help you see what fun ways you can explore your world through science:
Fun experiments http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/homeexpts.html
Fun with Bill Nye http://www.billnye.com/
Fun science games http://www.gamequarium.com/science.htm
Fun science song "Put it to the Test" by They Might Be Giants http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kf51FpBuXQ
Fun Science video: YouTube video Mythbuster's Mentos + Diet Coke experiment
(10 second ad before video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjbJELjLgZg&feature=related
Friday, March 4, 2011
Other fun ways to experience science
Visit the Burke Museum for one of their fun hands on learning days:
Dino Days March 5th 9-4 http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/events/index.php http://vimeo.com/10292552 and several other events throughout the year.
Watch the Robotics Competition at QWest Field on March 18th and 19th
http://www.firstwa.org/
Visit the UW Engineering Department's Discovery Days in April
http://www.engr.washington.edu/alumcomm/openhouse.html
Plant some Sunflowers and help scientists track the bee population http://www.greatsunflower.org/
Play a game or let your home computer help science:
Fold It, a game that helps scientists analyze the structure of protiens
http://fold.it/portal/info/science#whygame or use your computer to help when you aren't using it with Rosetta@Home http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
Free Rice, fun quizzes on science, math, geography and vocabulary that also help donate food to World Food Programme to help fight hunger.
http://www.freerice.com/category
Have your computer help with the search for Extraterrestrial life when you aren't
using it with
Seti@Home http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
Learn about Watson, the IBM computer that won on Jeopardy!
http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/what-is-watson/index.html
Dino Days March 5th 9-4 http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/events/index.php http://vimeo.com/10292552 and several other events throughout the year.
Watch the Robotics Competition at QWest Field on March 18th and 19th
http://www.firstwa.org/
Visit the UW Engineering Department's Discovery Days in April
http://www.engr.washington.edu/alumcomm/openhouse.html
Plant some Sunflowers and help scientists track the bee population http://www.greatsunflower.org/
Play a game or let your home computer help science:
Fold It, a game that helps scientists analyze the structure of protiens
http://fold.it/portal/info/science#whygame or use your computer to help when you aren't using it with Rosetta@Home http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
Free Rice, fun quizzes on science, math, geography and vocabulary that also help donate food to World Food Programme to help fight hunger.
http://www.freerice.com/category
Have your computer help with the search for Extraterrestrial life when you aren't
using it withSeti@Home http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
Learn about Watson, the IBM computer that won on Jeopardy!
http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/what-is-watson/index.html
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Key Drop
Gravity pulls all things together, but do they always make impact? Try this and amaze your friends.
Materials:
Key ring full of keys
Long shoelace
Pencil
What You Do:
Remove one key from the key ring. Tie it to one end of the shoelace, and tie the key ring (with the other keys still on it) to the other end.
Drape the string over the pencil—held parallel to the floor. The key ring should hang down about 1 inch below the pencil. Hold the key in your other hand.
Let go of the key. What happens? Do it again, watching the path of the key very carefully. Wow!
What’s going on? The key to this trick is energy. There are two different types of energy at work. Energy of motion is kinetic energy. Stored energy is called potential energy. When both the key ring and the key are stationary, they have potential energy. The key ring has more potential energy than the key because it has more mass. When you let go of the single key, it falls a long distance, building up momentum and speed as it travels, so it has a lot of kinetic energy. The key actually has more kinetic energy than the key ring and winds itself around the pencil. After a couple of turns around the pencil, the friction is so great that the key ring stops falling.
The science fair is quickly approaching! Look for registration slips to come home mid-March. Workshops begin on 21 March during lunch recesses Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Want to help? We’d love to have you; contact Amy Oliver at amyroliver@gmail.com.
Materials:
Key ring full of keys
Long shoelace
Pencil
What You Do:
Remove one key from the key ring. Tie it to one end of the shoelace, and tie the key ring (with the other keys still on it) to the other end.
Drape the string over the pencil—held parallel to the floor. The key ring should hang down about 1 inch below the pencil. Hold the key in your other hand.
Let go of the key. What happens? Do it again, watching the path of the key very carefully. Wow!
What’s going on? The key to this trick is energy. There are two different types of energy at work. Energy of motion is kinetic energy. Stored energy is called potential energy. When both the key ring and the key are stationary, they have potential energy. The key ring has more potential energy than the key because it has more mass. When you let go of the single key, it falls a long distance, building up momentum and speed as it travels, so it has a lot of kinetic energy. The key actually has more kinetic energy than the key ring and winds itself around the pencil. After a couple of turns around the pencil, the friction is so great that the key ring stops falling.
The science fair is quickly approaching! Look for registration slips to come home mid-March. Workshops begin on 21 March during lunch recesses Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Want to help? We’d love to have you; contact Amy Oliver at amyroliver@gmail.com.
More on Energy.....
Books:
Physics: Why Matter Matters! by Dan Greenburg and Simon Basher 530 Greenburg Fernwood SnoIsle
Energy by Kay Manolis 531 Manolis Fernwood
Energy by Christine Webster 621.042 Web Fernwood
Kinetic and potential energy : understanding changes within physical systems by Jennifer Viegas Y531.6 VIE KCLS
Heat and Energy by Steven Parker J536 PARKER KCLS
Toying around with science : the physics behind toys and gags by Robert Friedhoffer Y688.728 FRI KCLS
Raceways : having fun with balls and tracks by Bernie Zubrikowski J796.3 KCLS
Making things move : DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists by Dustyn Roberts 621.8 ROBERTS SnoIsle KCLS
Bite-sized science : activities for children in 15 minutes or less by John H. Falk and Kristi S. Rosenberg 372.3504 FALK SnoIsle
Awesome experiments in force & motion by Michael DiSpezio J 531.6 DISPEZI SnoIsle
Gizmos & gadgets : creating science contraptions that work (& knowing why) by Jill Frankel Hauser J 500 HAUSER SnoIsle
DVDs and video links:
Energy with Bill Nye JDVD 531.6 ENE KCLS
Energy: potential & kinetic Videocassette J531.6 ENERGY KCLS
Energy by Asa Kalam JDVD 530 ENE KCLS SnoIsle
Roller coaster physics [videorecording] / Discovery Channel School J DVD-ED 531 ROL4 SnoIsle
YouTube: Eureka! Episode 9 Kinetic Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhX01toLjZs
YouTube: Eureka! Episode 10 Potential Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn470XtSYK0&feature=related
YouTube: Wiley E Coyote and RoadRunner demonstrate Potential Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnj8mc04r9E&feature=related
YouTube: Student video on Potential and Kinetic Engergy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8abzpXCjyjA&NR=1
YouTube: Bill Nye on Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ASLLiuejAo
Need some help with your Science Fair project? There will be workshops available for help starting March 21st during lunch recesses. Also, both SnoIsle and King County Library Systems have online resources available from your home computer.
KCLS Homework Help page http://www.kcls.org/homework_help/
SnoIsle Homework Help page http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=2777
Physics: Why Matter Matters! by Dan Greenburg and Simon Basher 530 Greenburg Fernwood SnoIsle
Energy by Kay Manolis 531 Manolis Fernwood
Energy by Christine Webster 621.042 Web Fernwood
Kinetic and potential energy : understanding changes within physical systems by Jennifer Viegas Y531.6 VIE KCLS
Heat and Energy by Steven Parker J536 PARKER KCLS
Toying around with science : the physics behind toys and gags by Robert Friedhoffer Y688.728 FRI KCLS
Raceways : having fun with balls and tracks by Bernie Zubrikowski J796.3 KCLS
Making things move : DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists by Dustyn Roberts 621.8 ROBERTS SnoIsle KCLS
Bite-sized science : activities for children in 15 minutes or less by John H. Falk and Kristi S. Rosenberg 372.3504 FALK SnoIsle
Awesome experiments in force & motion by Michael DiSpezio J 531.6 DISPEZI SnoIsle
Gizmos & gadgets : creating science contraptions that work (& knowing why) by Jill Frankel Hauser J 500 HAUSER SnoIsle
DVDs and video links:
Energy with Bill Nye JDVD 531.6 ENE KCLS
Energy: potential & kinetic Videocassette J531.6 ENERGY KCLS
Energy by Asa Kalam JDVD 530 ENE KCLS SnoIsle
Roller coaster physics [videorecording] / Discovery Channel School J DVD-ED 531 ROL4 SnoIsle
YouTube: Eureka! Episode 9 Kinetic Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhX01toLjZs
YouTube: Eureka! Episode 10 Potential Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn470XtSYK0&feature=related
YouTube: Wiley E Coyote and RoadRunner demonstrate Potential Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnj8mc04r9E&feature=related
YouTube: Student video on Potential and Kinetic Engergy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8abzpXCjyjA&NR=1
YouTube: Bill Nye on Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ASLLiuejAo
Websites and links:
Class Zone on Energy http://www.classzone.com/books/ml_science_share/vis_sim/mem05_pg69_potential/mem05_pg69_potential.html
Physics 4 Kids
http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_energy.html
PowerPoint presentations on Energy and Matter
http://science.pppst.com/energy.html
Need some help with your Science Fair project? There will be workshops available for help starting March 21st during lunch recesses. Also, both SnoIsle and King County Library Systems have online resources available from your home computer.
KCLS Homework Help page http://www.kcls.org/homework_help/
SnoIsle Homework Help page http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=2777
Friday, February 4, 2011
Getting Centered
Balance is key to all things in life. How far can you lean before you fall over? Does it help to really concentrate? How about extending your arms and legs, does this help? Let’s explore your balance a little bit.
You need:
Lipstick tube or chapstick tube
A helper
What to do:
1. Kneel on the floor with your behind touching your feet and place your arms in front of you with your elbows bent. Slide your elbows back until they just touch your knees and extend your fingers out in front of you.
2. Have a helper place a tube of lipstick (chapstick) on the ground so that it is standing upright just at the end of your index fingers.
3. Straighten up so that you are kneeling but upright. Place both your hands behind your back. Carefully lean forward and try to knock the lipstick over using your nose.
What happened?
Some people can knock over the tube and other people can’t. It has to do with how high the center of gravity is in your body. Your center of gravity is the point in your body where half your weight is above and half is below. Some athletes such as cyclists who build up more muscle mass in their legs have a lower center of gravity. Athletes who develop their upper bodies may have a hard time with this and topple over. Wrestlers crouch to keep their center of gravity as low as possible so that they aren’t as easy to knock over.
Volunteers are central to our science fair. We’d love to have you join us. Have some spare time at lunch? Come hang out in the Fernwood library to encourage the students in their explorations. No science experience necessary. Contact Amy Oliver to join the fun (amyroliver@gmail.com).
You need:
Lipstick tube or chapstick tube
A helper
What to do:
1. Kneel on the floor with your behind touching your feet and place your arms in front of you with your elbows bent. Slide your elbows back until they just touch your knees and extend your fingers out in front of you.
2. Have a helper place a tube of lipstick (chapstick) on the ground so that it is standing upright just at the end of your index fingers.
3. Straighten up so that you are kneeling but upright. Place both your hands behind your back. Carefully lean forward and try to knock the lipstick over using your nose.
What happened?
Some people can knock over the tube and other people can’t. It has to do with how high the center of gravity is in your body. Your center of gravity is the point in your body where half your weight is above and half is below. Some athletes such as cyclists who build up more muscle mass in their legs have a lower center of gravity. Athletes who develop their upper bodies may have a hard time with this and topple over. Wrestlers crouch to keep their center of gravity as low as possible so that they aren’t as easy to knock over.
Volunteers are central to our science fair. We’d love to have you join us. Have some spare time at lunch? Come hang out in the Fernwood library to encourage the students in their explorations. No science experience necessary. Contact Amy Oliver to join the fun (amyroliver@gmail.com).
More about Center of Gravity and Balance....
Balancing magic and other tricks by Ormond McGill 793.8 McG
Paperclip science: Simple & fun experiments by Steve Moje 503 Moj
Make it balance by David Evans and Claudette Williams 531.14 Eva
All about motion & balance [videorecording]. J DVD-ED 531.11 ALL856
Gold medal physics : the science of sports / John Eric Goff. 796.0153 GOFF
While you're waiting for the food to come : a tabletop science activity book : experiments and tricks that can be done at a restaurant, the dining room table, or wherever food is served / by Eric Muller; J 507.8 MULLER
Awesome experiments in force & motion / Michael DiSpezio J 531.6 DISPEZI
Paperclip science: Simple & fun experiments by Steve Moje 503 Moj
Make it balance by David Evans and Claudette Williams 531.14 Eva
All about motion & balance [videorecording]. J DVD-ED 531.11 ALL856
Gold medal physics : the science of sports / John Eric Goff. 796.0153 GOFF
While you're waiting for the food to come : a tabletop science activity book : experiments and tricks that can be done at a restaurant, the dining room table, or wherever food is served / by Eric Muller; J 507.8 MULLER
Awesome experiments in force & motion / Michael DiSpezio J 531.6 DISPEZI
Websites:
San Francisco Exploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/center_of_gravity/index.html
Fun Center of Gravity activities
http://www.escapadedirect.com/plwigr.html
NASA Website
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/barycntr.shtml
Jan Van Cleave’s Website
http://scienceprojectideasforkids.com/2010/center-of-gravity-vs-center-of-mass/
Fun experiment
http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/30142.aspx
YouTube balancing fork and spoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wsNZgRbXss
Looking for more fun ways to experiment with science? Check out your local library’s programs and events.
Sno-Isle Library System’s Sounds Like Science program is taking place at Mukilteo Library on Wednesday, February 23rd at 2pm and Mountlake Terrace on Saturday, February 19th at 1pm. They also are offering a Mad Science program called Up, Up and Away on Friday, February 25th at 2pm at the Mukilteo Library.
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