Sixth-Grader's Science Fair Finding Shocks Ecologists hide captionLauren Arrington's sixth-grade research project is cited in a science journal. Courtesy of Lauren Arrington Lauren Arrington's sixth-grade research project is cited in a science journal. When 12-year-old Lauren Arrington heard about her sixth-grade science project, she knew she wanted to study lionfish. Growing up in Jupiter, Fla., she saw them in the ocean while snorkeling and fishing with her dad. Her project showed that the lionfish can survive in nearly fresh water. hide captionScientists previously underestimated the ability of the lionfish to live in less salty water. Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images Scientists previously underestimated the ability of the lionfish to live in less salty water. "Scientists were doing plenty of tests on them, but they just always assumed they were in the ocean," Lauren, now 13, tells NPR's Kelly McEvers. "It was just a small, sixth-grade project, and I really didn't have all the tools necessary," she says. Her research did not stop there.
Leak-Proof Bag - Kid's Science Experiment 111k Shares Here’s an awesome and extremely easy Kid’s Science Experiment – the Leek-Proof Plastic Bag!! I’m sure you have everything you need at home – Plastic Zip Lock BagsSharp PencilsWater Instructions – Simply fill and seal your plastic Zip lock bags with water and head outside or over a sink or bath (trust me when this experiment is complete the kids will want to see the bag get empty again lol). This is such a neat activity! Then the inevitable happened…they wanted to pull them all out and watch the water filter out through all the holes! We found this great idea on the Steve Spangler Science Website – he goes into great detail about how and why this works…I highly recommend checking his post here…you might also find some other cool experiments while you’re there :). Louise x If you liked this activity, then you may also like our:
Coaching in Early Childhood: Coaching Tools The following tools were developed by Dathan Rush and M'Lisa Shelden as well as other staff at the Family, Infant and Preschool Program in Morganton, North Carolina to assist practitioners in their adherence to coaching practices. They will be available in the PDF format. You will need the free Adobe Reader to view these documets. These products are not available yet, please check back soon. A Framework for Reflective Questioning A Framework for Reflective Questioning provides questions that may be used by the coach to promote reflection on the part of the learner. The framework lists examples of four different types of questions use for four different purposes during the coaching conversation.
Sensory Art Play: Puffy Rainbow Clouds - Twodaloo Last updated Sunday, June 8, 2014 Have you ever wished you could paint a cloud? Even if the idea never occurred to you, I guarantee your kiddos will love this activity. Not only will they be able to create a giant, puffy cloud in a seriously cool way, they’ll be able to add color to their hearts’ content and THEN dive into some ooey, gooey, foamy sensory play. *This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Puffy Rainbow Clouds If you want to make a puffy rainbow cloud, you have to start by making a regular cloud. and our microwave. You can read more about the science behind the Ivory soap experiment at Steve Spangler Science. *Looking for Ivory Soap? . So yeah. The “cloud” of soap has a unique texture- kinda crunchy on the outside and airy/spongy on the inside. After that, I mixed up jars of colored water using a few drops of food coloring per jar- I’d prefer to use liquid watercolors but we were running low. on Amazon) and let them loose to paint their clouds any way they pleased.
15 Fun Science Activities for Kids We love fun science activities and science experiments. We have a whole list of fun ways to learn and explore today with your little scientist. These fantastic activities were inspired by Buggy and Buddy. 15 Fun Science Experiments for Kids 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Did you know? Our book, The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments, features tons of awesome activities just like this one that will keep your kids engaged while they learn. Science Kits These science kits make it simple and easy to start experimenting right away! Tasty Science Kit – Learn why soda pop fizzes and why cakes rise! Let the Kids Learn Through Play Photo TWENTY years ago, kids in preschool, kindergarten and even first and second grade spent much of their time playing: building with blocks, drawing or creating imaginary worlds, in their own heads or with classmates. But increasingly, these activities are being abandoned for the teacher-led, didactic instruction typically used in higher grades. In many schools, formal education now starts at age 4 or 5. Without this early start, the thinking goes, kids risk falling behind in crucial subjects such as reading and math, and may never catch up. The idea seems obvious: Starting sooner means learning more; the early bird catches the worm. But a growing group of scientists, education researchers and educators say there is little evidence that this approach improves long-term achievement; in fact, it may have the opposite effect, potentially slowing emotional and cognitive development, causing unnecessary stress and perhaps even souring kids’ desire to learn. Continue reading the main story
Pot-in-pot refrigerator A pot-in-pot refrigerator, clay pot cooler[1] or zeer (Arabic: زير) is an evaporative cooling refrigeration device which does not use electricity. It uses a porous outer earthenware pot, lined with wet sand, contains an inner pot (which can be glazed to prevent penetration by the liquid) within which the food is placed - the evaporation of the outer liquid draws heat from the inner pot. The device can be used to cool any substance. This simple technology requires only a flow of relatively dry air and a source of water. History[edit] There is some evidence that evaporative cooling was used as early as the Old Kingdom of Egypt, around 2500 B.C. Despite being developed in Northern Africa, the technology appears to have been forgotten with the advent of modern electrical refrigerators. Construction[edit] Functioning of a clay pot cooler A zeer is constructed by placing a clay pot within a larger clay pot with wet sand in between the pots and a wet cloth on top.[9] Impact[edit]
Bubbling Slime Recipe for Sensory Tubs - Epic Fun for Kids Our posts contain Amazon.com and Lego.com links. Click one, and we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you on your next purchase there. (Disclosure Policy) Copyright © 2014 Jessica Petersen, All Rights Reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. These bubbling slime sensory tubs are my son’s new favorite thing! This slime recipe is made entirely with edible ingredients, and the key to it is xanthan gum, a common ingredient in gluten-free baking. I’ve been playing with xanthan gum slimes on and off for the past several months, but never blogged about them because a) I was the only one playing with them in our house and b) it was a bit difficult to work slime into the prevailing theme over at Play Trains! But then Asia from Fun at Home with Kids held her awesome Slime Week, and she inspired Mary Catherine from Fun-a-Day! The bubbling action is caused by a thin layer of baking soda at the bottom of the sensory tub. Bubbling Slime Recipe Notes
Little Story Maker App: Listening, Reading, Customizing, Personalizing I am completely impressed with the “Little Story Maker” App by Grasshopper Apps. (Thank you to Karen Lirenman, a first Grade teacher from Surrey, BC, Canada) I happen to visit my little niece in Canada this past week. Sophia is 8 years old and just moved to Canada 6 months ago from Brazil. In the app, we added a story. Then added the title of the story, added a cover image from the photo album and chose the template with the biggest image layout (I hope that a future update will bring more template layouts with multiple images as choices.) We kept adding pages with images and text for each page. The app allows you to have the book read to you, read it by yourself of set it to AutoPlay, which is really nothing new and most children’s book apps have the same feature. Where the customization comes in, is the fact, that you not only can enter you own text, then record your own voice (in any language of course) AND have individual words highlighted as it is being read! Like this: Like Loading...
Who Came Up With Chewing Gum? | Wonderopolis If you had a choice between chewing on a wad of tree sap, a mouthful of rubber bands or a stick of gum, which would you choose? If the answer seems obvious, you may be surprised. All three have more in common than most people realize. Chewing gum has a history — a long, long, loooong history. Many years before Columbus landed in America, citizens of the world were chewing gum and popping bubbles. Before World War II, gum was still made from chicle. Latex? One of the advantages of chicle is that it softens when warmed by the heat of your mouth. After World War II, the demand for gum continued to rise, and chemists began looking for an alternative to chicle. In order to make the gum more palatable, manufacturers mix in sugar and flavorings. Your teachers may not allow you to snap-crack-and-pop in school, but there are real advantages to chewing gum. As you chew, the gum stimulates saliva production, which helps neutralize acids in the mouth that can lead to tooth decay. Gum fun facts