Christmas Gifts!

Now is the time to shop for Christmas presents—especially if you want to find bargains.  Shop Good Will online.  Be sure to compare prices with Amazon and eBay before you bid.   If you troll the lists for the best science kits, Snap Circuits are on most lists.  Good Will often has Snap Circuits.  Try to get a new set. (BTW Snap Circuits Light retails for $75.)  If you buy a used set, test the parts.  You can buy replacement parts for Snap Circuits.  Is your child obsessed with Legos?  Think about LEGO Boost.  This set retails for $160.  If your child likes gadgets, Legos, and programming, the LEGO Boost is a home run.  

Have you considered a science subscription?  Educational Innovations, Steve Spangler, Kiwi Co, MEL Chemistry, Groovy Lab in a Box, and Bitsbox are popular science subscription services.  Instead of a subscription, try to find kits on Good Will or eBay.  Just keep in mind the original price of the kit before you bid.  Here is the Steve Spangler Solar kit and a Tinker Crate on eBay.  Take a look at a variety of science kits.  Look critically at the contents.  Then, watch for deals, especially at Good Will.  Good hunting!

Happy Halloween! Round-up of Candy Science Experiments and Labs

Is your home town celebrating Halloween?  Even if your area is not celebrating Halloween, I’ll bet you have extra candy on hand.  Today, I want to share labs and experiments you can do over the next few weeks.  First Candy Chromatography with Skittles or M&Ms.  Next try Dancing Gummy Worms.  Use the same procedures with baking soda and vinegar or carbonated, clear soda with raisins, Sour Patch, Sweet tarts, jelly beans, Juicy fruit, and gummy bears.  I recommend using similar masses.  Place each sample in a different glass.  Let’s use gummy worms, gummy bears, Swedish fish, and juicy fruit for Osmosis experiments.  Try different solutions: tap water, distilled water, salt water, sugar water, vinegar, baking soda, vinegar and baking soda, and lemon juice.  Check the results each day for several days.  Let’s use any citrusy candy and Test for Acids: Airheads, pixy sticks, Nerds, lemon candy, etc.  order Benedict’s solution and test for Glucose.  HST recommends trying lollipops.  Next lab calls for Wintergreen Lifesavers, Lightning in Your Mouth.  Here is Candy Lab: Dissolving.  See if the candy dissolves in water, oil, or alcohol.  You could use just about any candy for Dissolving. What about Candy Bar Density?  This is a good lab for a child allergic to chocolate.  Put on gloves and test those mini-bars.  Lastly, try HST’s Candy Coating Science.  Whew!  The experiments are more fun if the kids eat a bit of candy as they experiment.

Family Science: Twizzlers Geometry

Yes, it’s STEM, not science.  Yes, I’m still trying to use up Twizzlers.   Happily, this is a geometry lesson: Lines and Angles and this worksheet.  You could even use a protractor to check the angles.  Yes, there is an answer key.  Yes, it’s more School than fun.  Paul likes any activity with candy.

Family Science: Dancing Gummy Worms

 Guess what?  Surprise! I have extra gummy worms on hand, left over from Candy Mechanics.  One idea is Dancing Gummy Worms, much like Dancing Raisins.  Another idea is Gummy Worm Osmosis, similar to Gummy Bear Osmosis.  We might compare equal masses of gummy worms with gummy bears we got in a Halloween bag from Walmart—like we needed more candy.  Here are fun Gummy Bear Science Videos.  Paul should be doing a number of plant experiments instead of candy labs.  I post pix when we compare gummy worms with gummy bears and Juicy fruit.  Twice, Walmart added Halloween bags to our grocery order.

ASCII with Twizzlers

 We’re creating secret message with binary code.  Here is the inspiration post.  Nope, we aren’t making necklaces.  Instead, we are creating secret messages to decode with an ASCII table.  My husband suggests, ‘Drink More Ovaltine.’  Here is a post about ASCII tables.  My own understanding is limited to ‘The Martian’.  It just sounded like a fun STEM activity.  We decided to make secret messages to send to Paul’s friends.  The first picture below has the Twizzler key and a sample, ‘Hi’. Yellow is one and red is zero. This is how I explained the way to use Twizzlers and the ASCII table to create coded messages.  I numbered the letters in Iron man to make it easier to set up Twizzler codes.   Take a look at Paul’s messages.

Family Science: Secret Codes

 Okay, this is more STEM than really science.  I ran across Twizzler ASCII codes when I was looking for science activities to use up all the Twizzlers I bought.  Spoiler.  I bought MORE Twizzlers to get two colors to make secret messages.   Aaaaaarrrrrggghhh!  Then I thought about secret codes.  I like real codes, especially cryptograms.  Here are ideas using Morse Code, Pigpen Cipher, Tap Code, and more.  Here is an example of writing or typing Morse code.  Your child can type secret messages to her friends.  Here is an explanation about the pig pen cipher.  Here are instructions and a template for a secret decoder wheel.  Here are cryptograms for kids.  Warning!  Cryptograms are addictive.  

Atomic Theory Timeline

I have one more example of a timeline to share.   Here are details about the assignment.  Below is an especially nice example.

 

Family Science: Pump Rocket Toy

Want a great toy for Christmas?   Our little household loves Pump Rockets.  Shoot them away from trees and houses.  These puppies soar.  Buy extra foam rockets.   Want to make your own?  Here are instructions from NASA,

Family Science: Hot Wheels Speedometry

 Today we did a speed lab; it reminded me of Hot Wheels Speedometry.  These Hot Wheels lessons from the Indianapolis Children’s Museum have lesson teacher jargon.  Frugal Fun has even simpler speed lessons for Hot Wheels.  Did you know there’s a Go Pro Hot Wheels Car?  My husband, Rob, uses Hot Wheels, track, and Go Pro for Physics.  He sets up a challenge for his kids.  How can you use video footage to determine the speed of the car as it travels on the track?  Rob and I brought the Hot Wheels track to a local elementary school.  We challenged the kids.  How can we determine how fast the car travels on the track?  Okay!  One more resource.  Look at this Hot Wheels STEM lesson.

MEL Chemistry Kits

Good Will has  several listings for MEL Chemistry kits, including the Starter Kit.  Yes, I’m bidding.  I have one kit I ordered and haven’t tried.  But, I’m familiar with these demos.  MEL Chemistry is a subscription service for Chemistry labs.  Good Will has listings frequently.  It appears not every kid who gets these kits is thrilled.  Once, I finally try the lab kit I have, I’ll post more information.

PASCO SPARK System

 Further candy mechanics are on hold until we buy gummy worms. The Twizzlers snapped too easily.  I pulled out my SPARK device as a substitute for science labs today.  eBay has devices for about $50–which is a bit high.  Pasco has Sparkvue, too.  Basically, there is software to download to an iPad which sync by Bluetooth to an interface for sensors.  I have the Sparkvue app on my iPad and use Sparklink and Airlink.   There’s an issue; Pasco updates for the Sparkvue app do not support older models of iPads.  I’ve run into the issue twice.  So, instead, I bought used Spark devices, already loaded with the labs.  

What is a Spark device?  It’s a data collection device.  The Spark system comes with a thermometer sensor, voltage sensor, and power adapter.  You connect sensors to the Spark system directly.  I like to start with Are You Speeding?, which involves the motion sensor.  Here is a video tutorial.  I’ve used Sparks with kids of all ages.  Basically, you show them where to insert the sensors and how to open and select experiments.  The labs are complete lessons.  I like the fact I can introduce data collection technology easily.  Take a look.

Family Science: Candy Mechanics

 Update: We bought gummy worms to try.  Actually, they were gummy crawlers.  For a minute, I thought we would need more gummy worms. Nooooooo!  The crawlers did work.  Paul and Rob weighed different volumes of water to see how far they would stretch—and eventually crash to the floor.

I’m still working through a ridiculous candy stash leftover from various science experiments.   Mechanics with Candy uses Twizzlers and Gummy worms to test tensile strength.  We have Twizzlers from Edible DNA.  My husband teaches Physics for the local Co-op.  He has ideas about modifying this lab.  One way to change Twizzlers is to change the temperatures as demonstrated in Candy Snap Material Science..

We tried Twizzlers.  Nope. They snap right off.  On to gummy worms. Arrrrggh!  Like I need more candy!

 

Crisco PE Virtali-Tee

Good Will has an unusual listing,  a virtual reality t-shirt.  Here is the product website.  Weird, right?

Apologia Chemistry Nomenclature Ionic Compounds

 I just got more images of the ionic compounds for the Putting the Ions in Their Hands Nomenclature activity.  Take a look.

Family Science: Fossil Hunting

 I love to hunt for fossils.  My mom had a cottage on the Chesapeake Bay, near Calvert Cliffs.  The beaches nearby have shark teeth and fossil bits wash up on shore.  It’s addictive to hunt for shark’s teeth on the beach.  Here are locations to hunt with your family.  The Fossil Guy has Identification Sheets by location.  HST has instructions for making fossil casts.  You can buy fossils to make casts.  I just use Sculpey polymer clay to make clay impressions and bake the clay.  I have a few fossils from Calvert Cliffs in the pix below.

Disappearing Beaker Discrepant Event

 Originally, I ordered this demo, The Disappearing Beaker from Flinn.  I ordered this before demos were widely available online; back in the dark ages, teachers went to workshops or ordered kits from catalogs.  Really.  I made a short video below to share.  Any light vegetable oil works.  Turn the markings on the beaker to one side as you submerge it into the oil.  My kids are going to watch the video and explain why the breaker disappears.

Mole Day Moles

 My Chemistry Co-op class made moles with this pattern for Mole Day.  I sent home bags with fabric, fiberfill, and plastic eyes.  I even created a video.  Below are examples and the video.  I’ll post more photos as the entries, due today, arrive.

All in One Lesson

When I taught in public and private schools, I needed substitute lesson plans.  As a home-school parent-teacher, you might want a few easy lessons for your kids to tide you over during the flu.  I like themes and questions.  Here’s one: How does salt on the road melt ice?  Start with reading this Chemmatters article  Salting the Roads.  Pair the article with this ACS video, How does salt melt ice? (Remember the first rule in science is that we have no imagination.). Add the reading questions.  The video and article are ample materials.  Lesson done!  

What about Special Effects?  Here is a Chemmatters article and a video, The Chemistry of Hollywood Blood baths.  Here are the Chemmatter questions. I should mention that the teacher notes have the answers.  Take a screenshot of the questions and print it for your kids to answer.  

One more theme-smart phones.  Here is a Chemmatters article, Smartphones, Smart Chemistry, an ACS video, What Makes Smartphones Explode?, and Teacher Notes with reader’s questions.  Now you, too have emergency lessons.

Family Science: Taste and Smell Jelly Beans

 I’m still scrounging for jelly bean labs because I have an enormous bag left from the Jelly Bean Dichotomous Key lab.  This lab is from Bassam Shakashiri, Tasting and Smelling Jelly Beans.  If you like, you could create bar graphs of correct and incorrect guesses.  You could use Post-it notes or Adhesive dots.  Ask the kids how to set up the bar graph from the data collected.  Yes, it is another excuse to eat candy.

Apologia Chemistry: Module 7 Flame Tests

Update: Here is a new scenario for Flame Tests labs.  Personally, I find scenarios gimmicky.  Kids usually like to burn things in lab.  

I’m still prepping waaaay ahead for Chemistry Co-op.  Let me share the resources I’ll use for Module 7.  I always do Flame Tests with the kids.  This year, the kids are working remotely.  So, I sent home Colorful Flame Candles in the Chem Kits.  Home Training Tools has this Safer Flame Kit.  Walmart has Colorful Flame Candles in the Party section of the store.  Beyond Benign has a great lab for the Colorful Flame candles with Emission Spectra.  Here is a Mystery Story, posted to Facebook.  Here is the slideshow for class—still a work in progress.  Take a look!

Bassam Shakashiri

Have you heard of the Wisconsin professor,  Bassam Shakashiri?  I first learned about him through his Christmas videos, ‘Once Upon a Christmas Cheery, in the Lab of Shakashiri’.  Here is the 2018 video and 2019 video (50th) from  PBS.  Here are experiments you can do at home from his website.  Bassam has instructions for a Mystery Bead Bottle similar to the Poly Density Bottle, using pony beads mixed with Perler beads.  Genius!  Bassam’s instructions are extremely clear.  One caveat.  Professor Shakashiri May go off on a tangent.  Once he had a rant on academic freedom during the Christmas Lab video.  Still, the demos are great.

Experiment with Cleaners

 Would you like a practical lab for your kids?  This blogger researched eight DIY oven cleaners to test.  I’m trying the baking soda right now with my oven.  What a great idea for an experiment.  I have a brass tray I want to test with DIY brass cleaners, too.  Let your kids take the lead.  Research various recipes for DIY cleaners.  Ask how to best compare different recipes?  How can we set controls?  What should be the same?  What about the best home-made stain removers?  Laundry detergents?  How do DIY detergents compare to commercial laundry detergent?  Which is cheaper?  See where I’m going?  Let’s make a science out of cleaning.  Let’s determine the best toilet cleaner.

Discrepant Events

Watch this Flinn Minute Video.   It has The Lost Volume Demonstration or Shrinking Liquids.  The molecules of water and alcohol nestle closer together; the water-alcohol mixture occupies less overall volume.  Use at least 50 mL of each water and alcohol, not ten.  Ask me how I know.  Here is the Indicator Sponge Discrepant event from the video.  The other reaction is between aluminum foil and copper II chloride solution is here. This is an example of a single replacement reaction.  The aluminum replaces the copper.  Copper forms on the outside of the aluminum foil; kids think it is rust.  Discrepant events are fabulous ways to get kids to think.

Alternative Assessment

 I like to use Alternative Assessments.  One of my favorite assessment is video assessment.  I have kids do a demonstration with an explanation in a video.  Use discrepant events, such as The Disappearing Beaker. (Here is a detailed explanation of the index of refraction with borosilicate glass, Pyrex.). Another excellent discrepant event is the Poly Density Bottle.  I’m using Ghost Crystals and the Poly Density Bottle for Chemistry next week.  The kids need to do the demo and explain it in a short video.  It’s a way to add a bit of technology to your class, too.  Last year, one of my kids taught her classmates how to splice, edit, and how to dub with a voice-over.  Video is fun!  It makes a nice change from Claim Evidence Reasoning.  I don’t use a rubric for videos; you might.  Here is a video rubric.  If the kid does the demo, and successfully explains the discrepant event in a video, he earns 50 points.  That’s my rubric.

Candy Engineering

 I’m trying to reduce the candy stash leftover from several experiments.  Paul, ten, has become much more enthusiastic about science since we added candy.  First up is Twizzlers Linear Regression.  Paul’s too young to understand math modeling.  However he loves gadgets.  I’ll show him how to enter data and graph with the graphing calculator.  Want a discrepant event?  Look at Make Licorice Disappear.  Have you seen Twizzlers Binary Code Necklaces?  Secret messages?  Learn Binary Code?  We have a winner!  I’ll need to add more Twizzlers to my Walmart order.  I’ll post updates as we complete these experiments this week.

Candy Experiments

 Update: We did some more work this afternoon.  Below are more photos.

It’s not even Halloween; we have too much candy from making Jelly Bean Dichotomous Keys and Edible DNA.  What other experiments or activities can you do with candy?  I plan to microwave Monster Mallows with a few of the marshmallows leftover from Edible DNA.  I’ll substitute jelly beans for gum drops and make Candy Compounds—we have a big bag of jelly beans because the small bags were out of stock.  Push hard to get the toothpick into the jelly bean.  Have you seen Dissolving Candy Pumpkins?  No, we didn’t have the harvest mix for experiments.  We just like to eat them.  We might sacrifice a few in the interest of science.  We plan to make Warty Licorice after we microwave the marshmallows.  We have leftover Twizzlers from Edible DNA.  Paul is campaigning for Skittles; we may do Candy Chromatography.  Below are two jelly bean compounds, the ‘warty licorice’, and a marshmallow in the microwave.  I microwaved the licorice for 30 seconds, stopped, and microwaved it for another 30 seconds on high.  Next time, I’ll stop after 30 seconds.  The marshmallow inflated nicely after 30:seconds.