Science in Action Brownie Try-it

This badge shows you how science works in your life.


 Science and Technology Hunt


Technology is a way of using science to create tools that make life easier for people. Go on a science and technology hunt!
Find something in each of these catagories:

• Made of plastic  (cathouse, toys, storage totes, lawn chair)
• Made from trees (deck, food, picnic table, treehouse)
• Moves in a circle (kids playing games, tire swing, twisty slide, merry-go-round, top)
• Comes from the earth (plants, trees, rocks, flowers, oil, coal, water)
• Uses a switch (light and dimmer switch)
• Made of metal (park slide, lawn furniture, chains, vehicles, swim pools, airplanes)
• Uses electricity (cars, hair straightener, crockpot)
• Uses wheels (vehicles, wagon, riding toys, wheelchairs, motorized carts)
• Something that measures (ruler)
• Makes or uses sound (music, radio, ipod, instruments)
• Comes from the ocean or a lake (seashells, crabs, starfish, fish)
• Run by a computer (games, printer/scanner)

 Glop

Almost everything in the world is a solid, liquid or gas. Things can change from solid to liquid to gas. Water is a liquid.  Water changes to a solid when it freezes. When it boils and you see steam, it has become a gas.

Glop isn't  a solid or a liquid.

In order to make glop, you will need:

• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• spoon
• measuring cup
• bowl
• food coloring

 Pour the water into the bowl.

 Add the cornstarch a little at a time while stirring.

 Keep mixing until all your glop looks and feels the same.

Try adding food coloring to make blue, green or red glop. 

How is  glop different than water? How is it different from the plain starch? What can you do with it?

Store in a plastic baggie

Balloon Blowing.

Try to blow up a balloon without using your own breath.

You will need:

• 1/4 cup vinegar
• A small plastic water bottle
• 2 tablespoons of baking soda
• A small balloon

1. Pour the vinegar into the plastic bottle.

2. Stretch open the balloon mouth and carefully pour the baking soda into the balloon.

3. Place the balloon mouth over the bottle.  Make sure the balloon mouth is tightly around the neck of the soda bottle.

4. Hold the balloon to the side so that the baking soda does not fall into the bottle.

5. Shake the balloon so that the baking soda falls down into the bottle.

The gas from the baking soda/vinegar mixture blows the balloon up!

What happened? Can you figure out why?

 Magnetic Box (How an Etch-a-Sketch works)

Make a magnetic attraction box.

You will need:

• A small cardboard box (or plastic container with a top).
• Sos or brillo pad
• Plastic wrap
• A magnet
• Tape

1. Have an adult cut the sos pad into small pieces for you.

2. Put the pieces in the bottom of the box so that they cover the bottom completely.

3. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the box. Tape the plastic wrap to the box.

4. Move the magnet underneath the sos pads (steel wool)

What kind of patterns can you make? How far away can you hold the magnet and still make the steel wool move?

Computer Fun Fair/Computers in Your Life

One thing lacking in our homeschooling is the amount of computer time Shayla has.  I hope to allow her more opportunity to use this tool. 

We spent time discussing parts of the computer and then she played one of her favorite games, Jump Start.

Energy Slueth

We discussed what energy is and what types of things use each type of energy.   Then we read Energy from the Sun by Melvin Berger.

Color Spectrum

• Read Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni.  (reading)
• We did color mixing using the colored transluscent notebook dividers.  (science)
• Did more color mixing by painting with watercolors. (art)

Telling Time

• Set the timer for 1 minute.  How many times can you jump on one foot or bounce a ball in one minute (math, science)
• Discussed different ways people used to tell time (ie hourglass, sun dial, phases of the moon) (science, math, social studies)
• Made an hourglass.  Wash and dry two plastic bottles.  Poke holes in lids.  Fill one bottle with sand.  Put one upside down ontop of the other and duct tape together.