Hold on to an old tech!

What can you do with older tech?  We have quite an inventory of older iPads, iPods, and an iPhone.  Why? The Co-op kids usually do not bring their cell phones or aren’t permitted cell phones.   When I have a larger Co-op class doing some research, I pull out extra devices from my iPad and Kindle Fire collection.  I keep a graphing calculator app on all the iPads to use.  My classes use iPods as stop watches in lab.  I bought a bunch of used iPods from Good Will for $20.  If there’s a lab mishap and the device is ruined, it’s not a disaster.  We use an old iPhone 4 with a lens as a basic field microscope.  I have a clip-on microscope I use with the iPhone 4.  The clip-on microscope works with any cell or iPod camera.  I would rather use older devices than a new iPad or iPhone.

Family Science: Stream Study

 Let’s take a field trip!  Kids like stream studies.  Usually, there are biological, chemical, and physical geographical aspects to a steam study.  Locate a few tools: a measuring tape, an armored thermometer, Chemical test strips, a bucket, tennis ball, and ice cube tray.  Bring your cell phone and download The Creek Critters app.  Here is a video about macroinvertebrates. Here is a macroinvertebrate identification chart you can print.  If you bring along hard copies, put them in a sheet cover on a clipboard.  Here is a stream quality survey to use as you collect data.

What does one do during a stream study?  First take several photos of the stream site; use your cell’s gps to locate the coordinates for the site.  Take a few notes about the site and note the weather conditions: temperature, cloud cover, etc.  Test the water with the Chemical test strips.  Measure the stream flow with the float method using the tennis ball and tape measure.  Next, find a riffle and start collecting macroinvertebrates.  Use your macro ID chart or app to identify the critters.  Skip all of the propaganda associated with ANY environmental study. Instead focus on how we are called to be good stewards of God’s Creation.  In fact, take a look at this Scout study.  

Online Chemistry Resources

 What are some resources for Chemistry? This Fall teachers are grappling with remote instruction.  As a result there are some unexpected Chemistry resources.  Look at Resources for Teaching Online in 2020 from Chemistry Education Exchange.  ChemEd X offers free access...for now!  Have you seen Global Experiments?  Here is Measuring Vitamin C in food.  This experiment uses iodine solutions in place of using indophenol.  Flinn Scientific has several free safety materials.  I use the lab safety contracts with my classes every year.  ACS has free Chemmatters articles.  I assign articles to my students; I put magazines and articles in the lab kit I sent home.  The Periodic Table Turns 150 is a good example.  I use the teacher’s guide when I assign an article, usually student questions.  ACS also has Landmark Lessons, such as this one, Periodic Table and Transuranium Elements.    ACS Middle School Chemistry has lessons, such as What is a Chemical Reaction? and Remote Learning Assignments.  The ChemCollective has Virtual Labs.  I find I have to spend some time evaluating resources before I add them to the curriculum.  Even if you don’t use more than one or two ideas, you will have a chance to see what types of activities other Chemistry teachers use.  Hope this helps!

Apologia Chemistry: Module 2 Energy, Heat and Temperature

Last year, I did Module 2  and Module 13 at the same time.  This year, I am trying to stick with the order in the book.  In any case, I have loads of resources, starting with this Prentice Hall Slideshow.  Here we go: Heating Curve of Water, Specific Heat Lab, Specific Heat Worksheet, Soda Can Calorimeter, Calorimetry Worksheet, Coffee Cup Calorimetry, and the Calibrate the Thermometer lab from the textbook.   Below is a video about setting up a heating curve.  I told you I had a lot of materials ready!

Apologia Biology: Ecology

 Ecology is Module 10 (First and Second edition) and Module 3 (Third edition).  So much for teaching the modules in order.  I like to tackle ecology after taxonomy.  Here is my slideshow which include activities. Hope this helps!

Star Wars Science Toys

There is a series of Star Wars Science kits, such as The Force Trainer II.  Our little household has Jet Force Levitator, which generates an electrostatic field. It works; summer is too humid for static science.  We plan to try it again on a cold, dry, winter day.  Here are the manuals for the whole line of Star Wars Science toys.  Are they scientific?  Hmmmm.  They are based on science; these are just fun toys.  I buy these type of toys as presents.  They make great presents!

Do you need a hot plate for Chemistry lab?

 Good Will has a listing for a hot plate and ring stand.  The hot plate is also a magnetic stirrer, a really nice lab tool.  Nice does not denote necessary.  In a commercial or medical lab setting, one leaves solutions on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer going.  In a high school lab setting, whether in school or at home, one never leaves a reaction (or the stove!) unattended.  Do you need a hot plate?  Nope.  I taught in both private and public schools with gas jets for Bunsen burners.  I seldom used them with General or College bound Chemistry; I used them often with Chemistry II or AP Chemistry.  At one school, there were a set of electric burners—so much safer!  My Co-op Chemistry classes use electric burners or hot plates I bought at Walmart.  Your stove will be just fine.  I keep a dedicated set of burners because my Co-op classes are usually larger and meet at the library, my basement, or my garage.   BTW I do NOT use alcohol burners.  Once in awhile we use sterno to heat a test tube.  If you do not want to chance getting some solution on your stove, buy an inexpensive electric burner.

Want a funny story for the first day of Chemistry?

I ran across this post with a story from Ira Remsen.  It’s a classic!  Read it to your class!

Apologia Chemistry: Module 1

I am working on materials for the online Chemistry Co-op class.  I’m working up the nerve to try to present and switch to Jamboard on my iPad.  At the moment, I’m making up slideshows for Zoom and just taking screen-shots to insert into the slideshow.  Arrrgh.  It is so much easier to teach in person.  In any case, here is the slideshow.

Worthwhile Science Kits

 I buy science kits frequently.  I’m looking for value.  Elementary schools use curricular kits such as Delta Education Science in a Nutshell.  (Goodwill has a listing, Seed Mysteries Science Kit.). Take a look at Carolina Biological’s Smithsonian STC curricular kits.  Kits from NeoSCI, FOSS, SEPUP,  and GEMS have more materials.  Often elementary level teachers are uncomfortable teaching science.  These kits have detailed instructions for the labs and activities, allowing teacher to inject more science into their classes.  These types of kits have more ideas and materials than an ordinary kit, such as Steve Spangler’s science kits.  Start at Good Will.  Happy hunting!

Apologia Biology: Taxonomy Mnemonic

 One of the earliest Biology lessons in Module 1 is taxonomy or classification: kingdom, phylum, order, class, family, genus, and species.  Kids need to understand binomial nomenclature means assigning an organism two names, its genus and species names, such as Ursus ursus.  It helps to devise a mnemonic.  Below are the mnemonics from the textbooks.  Mine is ‘Katie Poured Coke On Father’s Good Suit’.

1. “King Philip Cried Out For Goodness Sake!”

2. “King Philip’s Class Ordered Frozen Grape Sodas!”

   
   

Exploration Education Kit

 Good Will online has a listing for Exploration Education Kit.  This Physical Science Lab Kit retails for $110–supplies, only.  Here are sample lessons.  I buy these types of kits for the materials.  Take a look.

Family Science: How much did the Alligator (sphere, and cube) grow?

 Our little household decided to add a bit of math.  Paul, ten, weighed the alligator, sphere, and cube before and after soaking in distilled water.  We showed him how to calculate percent change.  Here is the article from Educational Innovations with the volume formula.  We used mass.  BTW, we explained average mass to better estimate the mass of each sphere or cube by weighing and averaging ten beads or cubes.  Here is the formula for percentage change.  BTW, Here is the digital scale.  

Co-op Science Online

The Co-op Biology and Chemistry classes are meeting online.  I had bad experiences with video conference in the early 2000’s and remain scarred.  I am forging ahead.  The Co-op classes are meeting every week to video chat.  The video chat classes are for direct instruction, assignment updates, and lab questions.  The assignments are posted to Google Classroom.  I am also creating and posting YouTube videos and Google Slides, which are saved to Drive.  (We would use Meet for video chats; most of the families use Zoom.  We elected Zoom for that reason.). In between video chats, the kids email me frequently.  I asked for assignments to be emailed.  It’s pretty easy to take a photo and attach it to email.  I save the emails in a folder for assignments—backed up on Drive.  BTW the Classroom grades are backed up in Drive, too.  Our Co-op class is a little synchronous—but mostly asynchronous.  This approach worked last spring; I am praying things work out again.  Below are screen shots of Co-op in progress.

Apologia Science: Use any textbook edition.

 My husband and I teach Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.  We encourage families to buy used textbooks; we do not specify an edition. My husband compared the two Apologia Physics editions.  The organization differed.  Rob didn’t think the content was dramatically different.  Right now, I’m using the new, third edition of Apologia Biology.  My kids are welcome to use any edition of Exploring Creation with Biology or Chemistry.  The first and second editions of Apologia’s Biology and Chemistry textbooks are very similar.  The second edition of either Biology or Chemistry had nicer illustrations and graphics.  One of my students used the third edition for Chemistry.  I have been told it has many errors.  The new, third edition of Apologia’s Biology textbook looks great.  However, it’s $62!  The content in the earlier editions is sound.   Use an older edition.  Isn’t your goal to teach basic science concepts?  All of these textbooks accomplish that.  Goodness!  You can always assign an interesting topic, such as Covid-19 Antibodies.  Save money and stop worrying.

Family Science: Penny in a Balloon

 The Spinning Penny is an example of centripetal force.  This is physics!  I know because my brain shuts down!  Anyway, this is fun!  Put a penny into a balloon, inflate, knot, and spin the penny inside the balloon.  Beware of using a dime or quarter because the edge can pop the balloon—which can be funny.  Cheap, entertaining, and scientific.

Family Science: What else can you do with growing spheres, cubes, or alligators?

Our little household is still playing with the growing spheres, cubes and alligator.  We plan to explain how to calculate the percent change in mass of a growing sphere, cube, and alligator.  Educational Innovations has ideas, too, including calculating the change in volume and testing the amount of change in mass or volume using different liquids.  We got excellent results by using distilled water, which is free of minerals which may reduce the amount of water the polymer sphere can absorb.  Here is one more photo!

Apologia Biology: Module 1

 Apologia Biology, or Exploring Creation with Biology, has a new third edition.  This year, I’ll use all three editions.  (The first and second editions by Dr. Wile are very similar.  The second edition has more color and clearer diagrams and charts.). The third edition has a different author and more detail.  Read the module.  The summer assignment for my class is to create a list of 100 local species. In all three editions,  Module 1 has a section on Energy Conversions with information about autotrophs, heterotrophs, producers, consumers, de composers, herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.  My class will label each species on the list as producers (P), herbivores (H), carnivores (C), and omnivores (O).  My class will start writing notes for species, too.  Black bears, Ursus ursus americanus, are omnivores and eat grubs, groundhogs, flowers, acorns, and berries.  Kids will need these notes and species for the lists to make a food web later.  

Here are key topics in Module 1: Scientific Method, Classification or Taxonomy (First and Second editions have Taxonomy in Module 1.  The third edition has classification or Taxonomy at the beginning of Mdule 9. p. 349.), an introduction to the Microscope, and biological keys (first and second editions.  The third edition has biological keys in Module 9, beginning on p. 356.)  My class learns the names of the parts of the microscope, annotates their list of species, and practices using biological keys. Start with Experiment 1.1 (first and second editions or 9.1 in the third.).  Here is the microscope quiz I use.  Biological keys are also called dichotomous keys.  Following are the dichotomous keys my class does: Dichotomous Key Practice, Building a Dichotomous Key, Alien Invasion (Here is the answer key.  This activity is also called Pamishan Creatures or Aliens.), and my favorite, Dichotomous Key Lab with Jelly Belly jelly beans.  Do the Jelly Belly Dichotomous Key as a family.  Buy a big bag!  Here is a slideshow with the Module 1 lesson.  Hope this helps.

Where do you buy science stuff?

 Just like you, I shop Amazon and eBay for science stuff.  You already know how much I like Good Will online, Home Science Tools, and Educational Innovations.  Another website I have shopped for ages is American Science and Surplus.  The listings are quirky.  Did you want a lab coat?  How about Magic Rocks?  Want a calorimeter?  Be sure to compare prices with Amazon or eBay.  It’s worth a look.  

Apologia Chemistry: Summer Assignment

 I had a test video chat yesterday.  Next week, Co-op Class begins.  The summer assignments are trickling in.  Yeah!  Here is the Classroom link with instructions.  Here is the link to the original article from the Journal of Chemical Education.  Basically, the kids are completing elements cards.  I find this preparation helps them learn the names for many elements, which is the first test. Below is a sample.  If I can get permission from the parents, I’ll post more pictures.

Apologia Chemistry: Let’s Get Started!

 Let’s get back to Chemistry Co-op.  We had our first video chat test. (About half the class reported.). What do you need to cover first?  I have a category called Day One.  Day One lasts for weeks.  First, I assembled and distributed Chemistry kits.  (About half the kids picked up the kits. )  Here are the initial topics: the Summer Assignment, the  Math Pre-test, Lab Safety, Flinn’s Safety Contract, Flinn’s Safety Test, Lab Equipment PPT, and a Lab Equipment Quiz.  Whew!  Below is a screen shot of the Math Pretest.  These assignments are completed and corrected, but not graded.  I save screenshots of work completed in Classroom.  Here is a slideshow I am using for the video chat classes.  I wish we were meeting live. Sigh.

Apologia Biology: Kits

 Biology is remote this year, probably all year.  So, I assembled kits, dissection specimens—even a microscope with slides.  I will post labs as they arise.  The first lab is the Owl Pellet Dissection.  The class makes a food web, too.  So, I packed owl pellets, instructions, and bone charts as a mini-kit.  Below are pix of the kits I assembled for Biology.  Yes, I am serious about lab.

Apologia Biology: Summer Assignment

 Today was the first test Zoom meeting for Biology.  My first assignment is to make a list of 100 species locally.  Walk outside and write down different species: insects, plants, tree, birds, fox, bear, deer, bats, earthworms, etc.  Start with ten animals.  What do they eat?  Write those down, too.  Write down wild plants, such as poison ivy.  What eats poison ivy?  Keep the species local.  Do not include domestic animals.  Come up with one hundred species.  Soon, the next assignment is to research scientific names, carnivore, herbivore, producer, etc.  For now, make a list.

Apologia Biology: Microscope Slides.

   We use a Digital Microscope to look at microscope slides.  Where can you buy microscope slides?  Good Will online has microscope slides.  If you are teaching Human Biology or Anatomy Physiology, this set, while pricy, has great slides.  HST sells microscope slides, too.  Look for brands such as Amscope.  This set should have every slide you’ll need in Biology.  Are you looking for a set so your kids have a microscope experience?  This set is great.  Walmart has this set for $15.99.  You might be able to find a set for about $12.  This set is great for elementary aged students.  I have a set and have used it for Biology, too.  Now, shop eBay, Amazon, and Good Will for the best price.

Family Science: Gro-Crystals

Today, we put a bunch of gro-spheres, cubes, alligator, and spikes in distilled or purified water.  I bought the supplies from Educational Innovations.  Yes, we really do a lot of science.  Below are pix. 

Family Science: Egg Toss

 Has your family tossed eggs at a  bed sheet or cookie sheet?  Yes, raw eggs.  This activity is about Momentum and Impulse.  (This is Physics.  My brain shuts down when it’s Physics.  I can handle Physical Science—not Physics.  I thought the energy was diffused over the bed sheet.  I was wrong.). My husband, Rob, had his kids toss and catch raw eggs outside with cookie sheets.  My Camp kids tossed raw eggs at bed sheets outside.  Buy dozens of eggs.  I thought this was kind of lame.  Kids line up for 45 minutes to take turns tossing eggs at a bed sheet or catching them with cookie sheets.

Family Science: Rocket Balls

 Have you ever tried Rocket balls?  You balance a tennis ball on a basketball and drop them simultaneously.  The tennis ball ricochets off the basketball.  You can use a tennis ball and a ping-pong ball or a tennis ball and a super bouncy ball together.  The trick is to balance the little ball on top of the tennis ball with your hand before you drop it.  Here are lab activities for Dropper Poppers, Reaction Rocket, and Astro-blaster.  Trust me, these are fun!

Family Science: UV

 I tend to forget people aren’t as invested in science as I am.  One topic kids like is UV.  Start with UV beads.  We just thread them on to pipe cleaners and wear them as bracelets or key chain for a backpack.  You could test sunscreen with the UV beads.  Truthfully, we just like to see them change colors.  We also like UV nail polish—a lot!  Again, we paint it on and go outside.  Here is a Glo-Germ Kit.  Buy a small UV flashlight.  Did you know stains are fluorescent under a UV black light?  Go into a dark room and wave the UV light over your t-shirt.   There are lots of things which glow under UV light.  Fun, right?

Family Science: Just Add Water

 Water is a broad topic in science.  In Chemistry we look at water’s high specific heat, surface tension, and hydrogen bonding.  Water molecules have unique properties which make for interesting activities.  Here is a U.K. publication, Just Add Water.  I like Drops on Pennies.  Try dropping water on waxed paper, too.  Here are detailed instructions from Exploratorium for the hot and cold water activity.  Educational Innovations has a kit, Just Add Water, too.  The kit has Paper Chromatography, vortex or tornado tube, and floating yen.  Keep in mind, you’re paying for instructions.  Want a bit of School?  Ask kids to research, ‘Why is water wet?’

Tech Tools to Teach Science

 Now is the time to embrace tech.  Start with Google’s G-Suite for Education.  I use Docs, Slides, Sheets, YouTube, Blogger, Classroom, Drive, Gmail, and Calendar.  Why?  They are all integrated!  Step one is getting a gmail account.  Start with Classroom.  I set up each subject as a separate classroom in addition to the Co-op classes.  I post YouTube videos, links, docs, and slideshows for topics into Classroom.  Additionally, I take pix to add with assignments.  This way, I have an on-going digital portfolio.  Get in the habit of saving to Drive.  I just scanned (with my iPad) a hard copy of a lab I cannot locate on Google. I sent the scan to my Gmail account.  Gmail converts it to a pdf file.  Gmail also allows me to save pdf files to Drive.  Once in Drive, I can add the pdf lab copy to assignments.  Did you know you can scan with your iPhone or iPad?  I didn’t until recently.  I was scanning materials to a jump drive using the local library’s copier.  The local library here is still closed from Covid-19.  I had to get creative.  You can, too!  Start with Google.  Below are screen shots demonstrating these tech tools.

Apologia Chemistry: Accuracy and Precision Lab

 The first lab I like to do is Accuracy and Precision.  This copy is a mess.  It was scanned and saved to my Google Drive upside down, reprinted, and scanned with an iPad.  The lab uses a solo cup, a sponge, and a ruler or meter stick.  I insist on thirty trials.  We count sponges which land in the solo cup as ‘0’.  The misses are measured in the distance from the cup in centimeters.  My classes calculate mean, median, and mode, and differentiate between accuracy and precision.  Take a look.

Innovating Science Forensic Chemistry: Drug Detection Kit

 I bought the Drug kit on eBay for about $9.50.  Yes, I do buy  kits just to get a look at the instructions to see if the lab is worthwhile.  Kids like CSI or Forensics labs.  It’s a good way to sell chemical lab experiments, especially or younger teens.  This Fall my Co-op Chemistry class is remote—including the labs.  I’m interested in finding new ideas to do at home.  This kit is only one lab; some aspects are like the Mystery Powder Lab.  This week I’ll run a few of the tests from the kit.  Are you looking for good prices for kits?  eBay and Good Will online are the best sources for deals.  I look for certain brands: Innovating Science, Lab-aids,  Neo-Sci, Flinn Scientific, Carolina Biological, or Wards Science.

Family Science: Fizz Wizard and Jammin’ Jelly

 HST sells Fizz Wizard and Jammin’ Jelly, by far my favorite kid kit.  The Edible Chemistry Kit has the same materials: baking soda, citric acid, sodium alginate, calcium acetate, and Magic Crystals, or powdered red cabbage.  Our little household gets out our Classroom Kit as an afternoon activity with friends.  Add a bowl of sugar for the experiments.  I bought the classroom Fizz Wizz Kit for the labeled bottles and bitty spoons.  I bought these packs of sodium alginate and calcium lactate to refill the bottles.  I could not find food grade calcium acetate; however, the calcium lactate works fine.  It’s easier to find citric acid in the summer.  Look in the canning section.  Order red cabbage powder to refill the Magic Crystals.  The kids have to do four experiments as written in the lab booklet.  After, they may make potions.  They love to watch adult expressions when sampling the potions. Do you swear you added sugar?  Yuck.  Fun, but yucky.  Your family will have a blast!

Family Science: Coding

 Our little household codes or programs all the time.  Well, Paul, ten, and his daddy, a software engineer, do.  My husband and I do not.  Ken brings over coding stuff all the time we sort out and execute.    Let me give you a round up of devices, apps, STEM stuff.  Paul started coding with MIT Scratch using 20 Games to Code with Scratch.  Initially, he and I had to sit down together to work through the games in the book.  Does your library have a Maker Lab?  Ours does; the library has a number of Scratch Coding books like this one.  

Then, we bought Coji, a robot to program.  You download an app, connect Coji to a device, and program the robot through the device.  We use an iPad because it connects with Bluetooth reliably.  BTW, the iPad is encased in an Otterbox so kids can you it without worry.  Coji was really too simple for Paul.  He likes to show friends how to code with it and let them play.  The nice thing is Coji isn’t too expensive.  

We bought MakeyMakey and set it up with play-doh.  It was easy to set up, interface, and code.  Ken brought over a  littleBits set.  We sent it back home almost immediately.  It is easy to understand and assemble.  We could not get the bits to stick to the mother board.  I’m sure this is fabulous; we got too frustrated and sent it home.  

The most recent coding toy is the LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox.  Again, you download an app, interface with a device, then build the toy, and program.  The LEGO build takes a few hours; the instructions are pages in the app.  There are levels of programming for each toy.  Paul has completed the robot, kitty, and guitar.  He liked the robot and guitar.  The kitty did not do much and it’s head was a pain to attach.  Ken bought the Star Wars set to try once we finish the MIR-4 and Autobuilder.  Right now, Paul spends 20-30 minutes programming with the guitar.  This set is a win.  

Paul’s daddy wanted him to start programming lessons.  He is working on Khan Academy Intro to JS and 7 Billion Humans on STEAM.  Whenever Paul runs into a problem with 7 Billion, Ken helps.  Rob and I are clueless.  Our job is to set the timer when it’s time to program.  

Coji and MIT Scratch are very affordable coding options for beginners.  The LEGO Boost set is $159 and pricy.  This might be a family Christmas present if you are LEGO fans.  The programming is pretty intuitive.  The family can take turns with the build.  

Play-doh Compound Variety Pack—Make your own!

 Play-doh has a variety pack of slime.  I like to buy a commercial pack to compare with home-made versions.  Krackle slime is new to me.  Here are DIY Crunchy Bubble Slime and Crunchy Slime.  Here is DIY Floam.  Here is soft, fluffy slime.  Here is NASA’s stretchy slime recipe.  Here and here are basic slime recipes.  Don’t get me started on the borax controversy.

What type of glassware is best for science?

 The best types of lab glassware to buy is borosilicate glassware, often sold as Kimax or Pyrex, like this set.  HST sells beakers and flasks made from borosilicate, designed to be heated.  Let me suggest you buy a test tube and test tube rack set.  It can be hard to judge the sizes of test tubes.  Buy extra test tubes.  Toss glassware if it cracks or chips.  

Family Science: Dissect Owl Pellets

 Our little household dissected owl pellets earlier this year.  My husband, Rob, and Paul, ten, are both squeamish.  I told them owl pellets are NOT gross—especially compared to frog or perch dissections.  I ordered more recently for my Biology class.  Both Rob and Paul squealed.  Wussies.  Here are instructions with pix.  Basically, you pull apart the owl pellets and sort bones.  Here and here are bone sorting charts.  Here is a kit.  Buy large pellets or several small pellets.  Large pellets have more bones.  Discourage kids from mounting the heads on to t-pins, like trophies or mini head hunters.  Tell them this is fun!

Family Science: DNA Extraction

Did you know it’s easy to extract DNA?   Here are instructions for extracting DNA from just about anything living.  I use split peas.  Some kids really get into DNA extraction and raid the fridge.  My kids have tried 70% rubbing alcohol, 90% rubbing alcohol, ethanol, cold alcohols, different dish soaps, shampoo, soft soap, liquid detergent, etc.  The key is fresh meat tenderizer.  Biology teachers  let their kids make DNA necklaces.  Carolina Biological sells a kit.  I don’t make necklaces.  We do like to see the white strands of DNA.

Apologia Chemistry: Nomenclature

 When I put together chemistry lab kits, I included a folder with hand-outs.  One topic is Nomenclature.  Let me share some of the hand-outs I use.  Here is a massive number of tutorials, worksheets, videos, etc from ChemTeam.  Here is the ion formula chart from Flinn we use to name ionic compounds. Here is the Naming Compounds Flow Chart.  Want one with answer keys?  Here you go!  Cavalcade of Chemistry has loads of practice worksheets like this one with answer keys.  Why so many hand-outs?  Some kids need loads of practice before they understand the material.  I use worksheets like these as quizzes, too.  I need many versions.  I insist kids retake quizzes until they master the concept.  

Family Science: Crush Cans

 Right now, I am in the middle of finishing Chemistry kits and organizing labs.  This year, I am including labs the whole family can do together.  One initial lab is Can Crushing.  Save several aluminum cans—any aluminum can will work, tall or short.  Put about 3 mL of water in the soda can.  Heat it on a hot plate or right on the stove until there is loads of steam coming out.  Have a bucket or large basin of ice water ready.  When the soda can has lots of steam, quickly invert the can into the bucket of ice water.  After about one second, the can will give a nice report and collapse.  Below is a video.  Salad tongs work well.  There is air in the can—not just oxygen.  Like my blogs, my student videos are equally well edited.

Family Science: Center of Gravity

Center of Gravity is so much fun!   What is Center of Gravity?  It’s a balancing point.  My favorite toy is The Balancing Bird.  You can make a DIY Balance Board which is called The Bottle Balancer.  I give kids an empty 2-L bottle to fill and balance.  Balancing Nails is another Center of Gravity trick.  One more toy—Sky Hook.  It is typically balances with a leather belt.

Family Science: Toys from Trash

 I love toys! I have used toys as a camp theme.   Arvin's Gupta is the author of Toys from Trash.  Start with Flying Toys.  Really, you are making toys from recycling.  For example, use a recycled soda can for Remote-Control Roller.  I always need 2-L bottles for Tornado Tubes and Cartesian Divers.  Another good category is Origami Toys.  Which paper works best?  Compare newsprint and copy paper.  One more category: Recycled Musical Instruments.  See if you can play a tune with glasses of water.

Family Science: Exploratorium

 One of my favorite sources for Camp, class, and families activities is The Exploratorium.  The Science Explorer is available online.  The Science Explorer is the source for Flipsticks and Pringle’s Pinhole Camera.  Simple Science Snacks and Science Snacks for K-5 have even more activities.  Buy a used copy of the Explorabook—especially if it has the magnet wand.  The Exploratorium Science Snackbook is for Grades 5-12.  I find the Explorabook and The Science Explorer books to be much more user friendly, especially for younger kids.

Family Science: Color

Color is one of those topics which transcends disciplines.  It’s Art, Physics, Biology—even Neuroscience.  Let’s look at activities.  My favorite is  CD Spinners.  Here is the same idea with pennies, instead of a marble.  Here are templates.  Look at Truly Primary Pigments.  Try it with markers.  Time each other with the Stroop Effect.  Here are mini-cards.  Have you tried Rainbow Density?  It’s tricky to get separate colors.  What about Candy Chromatography?  Here is Coffee Filter Chromatography.  Black water-based markers work well.  Here is Marker Butterfly.  Chemistry Colors Our World is a booklet with articles and activities: Why is the Sky Blue?, A Color Changing Liquid, and Is Black a Color?  Want a little Physics?  Here is Laser Jello.  These color activities are all over the map.  Younger kids may want to make CD spinners and marker butterflies, while older kids do the other activities.  Let’s keep everyone engaged.

Let’s Get Organized!

 We are on the home stretch!  Below are screen shots.  I am compiling kits, adding lessons to Classroom, making notes of labs, and videos.  Take a look!

DIY Chemistry Kits

Update:  Here is the slide show with all of the contents.  Here is a spreadsheet with the first twenty labs and links.

 My Co-op Chemistry class is meeting remotely, at least initially, this Fall.  I am a firm advocate of hands-on lessons and labs.  So, I assembled DIY lab kits.  There are chemicals, basic equipment, and general supplies.  I put together packets with hand-outs, readings, and lab instructions.  I will be adding videos to Google Classroom to explain assignments and labs.  Below are pix of the kit contents.  Take a look.

            The Manila folder has several sets of hand-outs, such as periodic tables to annotate.

      Each kit has several basic chemicals: peroxide, baking soda, water beads, etc.

          Hand-outs include the safety contract, equipment list, and a math pre-test.

   There are a few more chemicals not shown.  I added CaCl2, cornstarch, MgSO4, and a few powders.

        These samples are labeled for specific labs: Beanium, Candy Chromatography, Moles, Density, and the Mixture Challenge.

         I included a few Chemmatters articles as enrichment.

          The Ionic Compounds Kit is included with the folder of hand-outs.

         Dry chemicals, such as yeast for Elephant’s Toothpaste are in small boxes.

         I included several types of cups for making solutions, including the yogurt container with water beads for Ghost Crystals.

          Along with mini-kits, I added cupcake liners, q-tips, filter paper, index cards, and mini-thermometers.

          More hand-outs....

            Another view of materials.  I put small bottles of alcohol, ammonia, phenol red, and iodine in the coffee containers, too.

The ionic kit shown above is used for this activity.

Here you can see some of the basic equipment: cylinder, beaker, pipettes, craft sticks, a funnel, a reaction plate, and a sponge.  

  I added bottles for Cartesian divers, soda for labs, and cans to crush.

      There are extra bags with kits: Mystery Powders and Ion Formulas Lab.

             Inside the wall of the coffee can are magnets for the Mixture Challenge.

          Here are copies of some of the labs.

         There are mini scales like this one in the coffee cans, along with a weigh boat.

 Here are most of the coffee can contents.  I may have added something.