Help! Quicksand!!!

We did some great work today exploring states of matter . We looked at Oobleck, a mixture of starch and water that's actually kind of tough to classify. It looks and feels like a liquid until you push or pull on it with great force.

Then we learned about quicksand, another mixture that behaves in the same strange way. Although these days, quicksand is not high on our list of worries, neither was a pandemic 2 months ago... Should someone fall into some quicksand, we wanted to know what's the best way to get them out: yanking them quickly or with slow movements.

Science in Motion - REANIMATED

These days, scientists are making a comeback. They're cool, they know stuff, and they're all that stands between us and complete panic.

What better time for you to sharpen your science skills? 

So, without further ado...

What's the secret ingredient for delicious gravy, a delectable flour-less chocolate cake, and a simulation for testing the best way to escape from quicksand?!

Inquiring minds want to know!

You'll be carrying out a hands-on investigation in your kitchen, so get your parents' permission before you start. Promise you'll clean up afterward - that will earn you lots of points!

Like all good scientists, you'll need to follow directions, collect data, analyze your results, and think critically about what you've learned.

ONLINE VERSION 
PRINTABLE VERSION (print it out or copy the important parts into a notebook.)
LISTEN TO IT HERE.

I'd love to hear from you.
SEND YOUR RESULTS, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, PICTURES, and VIDEO to rperlin.rperlin@gmail.com  by APRIL 13th AT 5:00 pm. In the subject line, please write the name of the lab.

I'll post the best stuff here tomorrow.

Chanukah science...spinning tops

What do bicycles, frisbees, yo-yos, hula hoops, dreidels, and even the earth have in common? They all spin, and so long as they spin the better they are at resisting what gravity is trying so hard to get them to do, which is tumble and fall.

This week we talked about how dreidels work and then we observed the optical illusions produced by spinning tops with different colorful patterns. We finished up by making our own tops using old CDs.

Chanukah science...Which oil is the most miraculous?

In anticipation of Chanukah we investigated different oils and candles to see which one burns most efficiently.* We tested each oil or candle by measuring the mass before and after letting the wick burn for 3 minutes  We concluded that the one that lost the LEAST weight was the most efficient fuel source, and also the most miraculous.

*inspired by Amitai Levy and Roey Roth's 2008 science fair project

Chanukah science...Candles, air, and a bowl of water

This week the kids explored the effects of using a graduated cylinder to cover a lit candle standing in a bowl filled with water. What happens and why...these were the questions we set out to discover. Some of the results were easy to spot. Others required repeating the experiment multiple times.

Cells, up close and personal

This week we continued our investigations with microscopes. Having already gotten some experience last week with the ins and outs of using one, we focused on cells. The kids got a chance to compare plant and animal cells by extracting human cheek cells (sounds much more painful than it actually is) and onion cells (a little smelly, but otherwise no tears). We talked about how animal cells are more "blob-like," and how plant cells have a rigid exterior, which makes them look like boxes or bricks. 

Afterward the kids looked at other specimens under the microscope including: a mosquito (the wings are really interesting up close), a spider (much hairier than you'd think) , a louse (even scarier magnified 100X), a blade of grass, and various leaves.

Whisper words of wisdom, letter "e"

This week we learned how to use a compound microscope. First we reviewed the parts of a microscope and what they do. Then the kids learned how to prepare a wet mount (a slide with a specimen + a drop of water and a cover-slip) The first specimen the kids examined was a lower case "e." When it comes to the letter "e," there's more than meets the eye. It doesn't just get bigger...

After we got the hang of things, we looked at some serious specimens. If you think spiders are scary, try looking at one magnified 400 times!