Neo/ Sci: Closer Look at Soaps and Detergents

 My husband, Rob, and Paul, ten, are vetting the Soap and Detergents kit.  Rob has a very different teaching style.  His kids approach lab methodically with careful notes and observations.  He does most of the science labs with Paul.  The reason I like Neo/Sci kits is their lab approach.  Each activity is designed to understand surfactants, wetting,agents, and properties of soaps or detergents.  Rob and Paul did the first activity about surface tension and surfactants.  The activity took about twenty minutes to complete.  Neither Rob nor Paul complained—a sign of a good lab.  We added this surface tension lab with a penny.  Here  is a similar lab about surface tension and surfactants from NSTA.

Apologia Chemistry: Module 5 Experiment 5.1 Width of a Molecule

 I spent a couple hours today working through Experiment 5.1 lab and calculations.  I made a Slideshow with photos and calculations for Experiment 5.1.    I plan to go over this lab and calculations individually with the kids.  Last year my kids made a video demonstrating how to do the lab shown below.  I hope this helps.  The calculations are brutal.

Neo/Sci Lab Kits

I just bought three used Neo/ Sci Lab kits from eBay for $4.90.   First up is A Closer Look at Soaps and Detergents.  (Innovating Science: Soaps and Detergents is similar.)  Why did I buy a kit?  I’m always interested in new labs for my science classes, particularly Chemistry.   While ACS has loads of Soaps and Detergents labs or activities, I like how Neo/ Sci lays out experiments systematically.  This week I’m running through the labs from the kit with Paul, ten, to determine whether or not to add the labs to Chemistry.  Below are a few pix from the Soap and Detergents kit.  I’ll post more feedback this week as we evaluate the kit.

Apologia Chemistry: Module 5 Mass a Mole Activity

 My Co-op Chemistry class is weighing moles of table salt, Epsom salts, water, nails, baking soda, and aluminum foil.  (BTW Apologia Chemistry has a photo with examples of moles in Module 5.)  Why are the kids weighing moles?  I’ve found this strategy to help kids grasp the mole concept.  Here is an example I used in class.  Driveway Heat is CaCl2; its molar mass is 111.1 grams/mole.  The kids weigh 111.1 grams on the digital scales in their Chem kits.  For each element or compound, the kids determine the chemical name, its formula, and molar mass.  Then the kids weigh that amount of each element or compound.  I know this sounds stupid—it really helps to see a mole.  Here is the What Does a Mole Look Like Lab—really.  Many desperate chemistry teachers have learned how valuable weighing a mole is.

The Joy of Toys: Flip Over Tops

Okay, I already had the Inverting Pop Top toy. But, I did buy it from Educational Innovations.  Scroll down the link for the inverting top to see the video, the physics explanation, and the lesson link.  Here is some background about spinning tops, in general.  The plastic flip over tops generally work better than the wooden tops. The plastic flip over tops can be hard to find at a good price.  I like to let the kids spin both a wooden and plastic model for comparison.

The Joy of Toys: Balancing Birds

Balancing Bird toys demonstrate the center of gravity or the center of mass.  Here are several fun Center of Mass demos to try as a family.  Kids love to balance the bird on their fingers and noses.  

The Joy of Toys: Boinks!

 Among the toys, I bought my husband, Rob, for Christmas was Boinks.  Here is an explanation and experiment ideas from Educational Innovations.  These are fun—just not as fun as the popper.  This toy demonstrates Newton’s Third Law or Action-Reaction.  

Apologia Chemistry: Teach Experimental Design

I belong to a couple of online science forums.  One recent topic was writing about chemistry—which includes experimental design.   One member of the science forum cited her article, Advanced Chemical Lab Design and the Chemistry Olympiad.  Hold on!  Don’t be intimidated by the scope of the Olympiad.  Browse some of the exam links—especially Part III, the lab challenges.  Here are the 2019 lab challenges using hydrogen peroxide and Instant Snow, sodium polyacrylate.  There are detailed instructions included.  The Lab Challenges make kids think.  Here is a great example, Determine the Percent by Mass if Sugar in a Soft Drink.  Give your kid the basic procedure and materials.  The kid designs the experiment.  How many trials?  What are the controlled variables?  Look at Lab Challenge #2 and the materials.  If you test the solubility of materials reacting with instant snow or sodium polyacrylate, which solutions should you use?  Look at the chemicals used for Lab Challenge #2.  Why these chemicals?  I would brew fake urine to test sodium polyacrylate powder in disposable diapers.  Look at the chemicals.  Some in Lab Challenge #2 are in urine.  So, what’s the point?  Pick one challenge and follow the Lab Design Guide to have your teen do, design, implement, and write about in a formal report.  My kids are going to do a few of these lab challenges.  I’ll post results when I assign a Challenge.

The Joy of Toys: Tops

I bought several toys from Educational Innovations, including the Wind Gyro.  It behave like a turbine in a hydroelectric plant.  To make it work, you need to give it a spin before blowing across the top.  Now, my husband, Rob, wants a gyroscope.  

Interactive Animals Activity

 Paul, ten, is studying vertebrate and invertebrate animals.  I decided to do a few extensions, beginning with Classifying Invertebrates.  This activity begins with an animal sort.  Surprise!  I modified the activity.  I instructed Paul to sort the animals into groups of animals, which he identified.  Before Christmas, I bought a magnetic white board and dry erase label magnets from Walmart. (Below is a screenshot with the names for the whiteboard and labels.). Next, Paul sorted the animals into vertebrates and invertebrates.  We switched the crab and iguana.  Finally, he did the classification activity with the second set of cards.  Did we need the whiteboard?  Not really.  But, I plan to do more sorting and labeling.  Right now the white board is a bit of a novelty.  Hey!  It made the three activities more fun.  Below are a few pix we’re adding to Paul’s portfolio.  I find hands-on activities reinforce and review lessons.  Hope this helps.

Apologia Chemistry: Mystery Powder Lab

 I’m still getting submissions for the Mystery Powder Lab.  Here is the slideshow with the materials the kids used for the lab.  Take a look at these photos.