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Biodegradable Gardening 

4/26/2015

3 Comments

 
Author: Maddie Van Beek

Did you know that April 22nd was Earth Day? Earth Day began back in 1970 as a response to a devastating oil spill.  Now, Earth Day continues to remind people to take care of and celebrate our Earth! People often memorialize earth day by volunteering, planting a garden, cleaning up highways, among many more ways to leave our earth better than we found it. What can you do to help your world? 

Picture
http://www.ecosacramento.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/sacramentoearthday_dana-gray.jpg


The important thing to remember is to take care of our world not just on Earth Day, but every day! What are some ways that you can take care of the earth in your community? 



Here’s some more information about Earth Day and the different ways you can celebrate it!

Earth Day

In relation to Earth Day, we are going to learn what the word biodegradable means. 




Have you ever seen this symbol? If you do, that means the item is biodegradable! But what exactly does that mean? 

Picture
http://fairweathers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/biodegradable.png
Biodegradable is defined as any item that can be decomposed (broken down) by bacteria or other living organisms. Think about what this means. What items can you think of that might be biodegradable? For example, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is biodegradable! You, a living organism, break down that sandwich in your body when you eat it. 



Biodegradable material is usually organic material that was originally from other living organisms. The word organic can have a few different meanings, but in this case, it means plant or animal matter. This not only includes plants and animals, but plant and animal waste material, as well. 



While much of the world around us is biodegradable, some materials are not. When non-biodegradable items are littered around, they don’t break down like biodegradable material. For example, a plastic bag can take up to 20 years to break down! These items then end up in landfills, cluttering our earth and potentially causing harm to animals and their habitats. 



Just imagine how long the plastic in this landfill would take to decompose!

Picture
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Landfill.jpg



This is just one example of an animal affected by littered plastic. 
Picture
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOCn0PF9ZKU/UnsRKx-jjLI/AAAAAAAAADA/xvq8euzx_zY/s1600/7538580.jpg


How DOES plastic decompose, anyway? Find out HERE. 



Activity

YOU WILL NEED:

Dirt

Water

Deep pan or garden box

Popsicle sticks

Various items to plant. May include:

  • Dirty sock
  • Apple core
  • Banana peel
  • A kleenex
  • Milk carton
  • Plastic wrapper
  • Piece of bread
  • Toilet paper



Here’s what to do! 



You are going to plant your various items in your garden. Instead of planting seeds and watching things grow, you are going to observe how the items decompose. Essentially, you are creating a reverse garden! Through this experiment, you are going to find out which items are biodegradable and which are not. 



1. Make predictions! Write down which items you think will decompose the fastest, slowest, or not at all. Make guesses on how long you think each will take to decompose. 

2. Fill the deep pan with dirt. 

3. Use a pen or marker to label popsicle sticks with each item you are going to plant. 

4. Plant each item in the pan. Make sure the items are completely covered in dirt and are planted at the same depth. You could use a ruler to measure from the item to the surface of the dirt to make sure the items are all covered by the same amount of dirt. 

5. As you plant each item, stick the labeled popsicle stick into the dirt behind the item so you can identify the items later on. 


6. Water your garden! 


7. Now, the waiting game has started. Make sure you water your garden once a day. After one week, dig up your garden and make observations. What do your items look like now? Take pictures or make sketches in your observation journal. Which items seem to be decomposing the fastest? Are there any items that look the same?


8. Rebury your items as you did in step 4 and continue with daily watering. 


9. Check back at week 2 and take pictures, make sketches, and record observations in your journal. Rebury and continue watering. 


10. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for two more weeks. 


11. At week 4, dig up your items and record your final observations. 



Remember, those items that didn’t decompose wouldn’t break down for many years to come! Use this activity as a great reminder to take care of our beautiful earth! 




References: 

  • http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/seasonal/winter/science-experiments-for-kids3.htm
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradation
  • http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement
  • http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/coastal/trash/documents/marine_debris.pdf
3 Comments

Create your own magnetic goo!

4/19/2015

6 Comments

 
Author: Maddie Van Beek

Have you ever wondered how a magnet works? I bet you all have at least one magnet on your fridge at home. How does it stick there, and why does it not fall off? Most of you probably know that magnets are attracted to metal surfaces, but why is that? Today, we are going to learn about magnetism by creating our very own magnetic goo! But first, you need to know a little bit about how magnets work. 




All magnets have a north pole and a south pole. These poles are attracted to their counterparts. If you move the north pole of a magnet close to the north pole of another magnet, they will repel each other, but if you move the north pole of a magnet towards the south pole of another magnet, they will attract. This is why magnets stick together!




Magnets aren’t only attracted to each other--some metals, including iron, nickel, and cobalt are also attracted to magnets. Most refrigerator doors are made of steel, which is mostly made up of iron. This is why magnets are attracted to your refrigerator!

Picture
http://cdn3.vtourist.com/6/3107434-My_Refrigerator_Magnet_Collection.jpg


Before you move on, check out this link for some more fun facts about magnets!

Magnet Quick Facts


Watch this video to help you understand the power of magnets. 



Follow up questions:

  1. Why are magnets special?
  2. What is a magnetic field? 
  3. What are poles? 
  4. Which poles attract each other?
  5. What does magnetism have to do with our world? 



There is a lot more to how magnets work and are made than you might think!



Activity: So you already know that magnets are attracted to iron. In this activity, you will be mixing ferric iron oxide powder with other materials to create a putty-like magnetic goo! Once you are finished with your creation, you can use magnets to manipulate the goo without even touching it! 



YOU WILL NEED

  • 1 regular-size bottle of school glue (ex. 4-7 oz Elmer’s School Glue)
  • 3 tbsp of magnetic powder (this is actually ferric iron oxide powder and is available on Amazon or in most art supply stores)
  • 2-4 oz of liquid starch (often used for art projects, but can be found in the laundry section of any grocery store) 
  • Neodymium magnets (Neodymium magnets are stronger than regular refrigerator magnets, which won’t work for this activity. Neodymium magnets are available at home improvement stores such as Home Depot)
  • Mixing bowl
  • Tablespoon
  • Spoon to mix the ingredients



Here’s what to do! 


  1. Measure out three tablespoons of magnetic powder and mix it in the bowl with the bottle of school glue. 
  2. Use a spoon or craft stick to thoroughly stir the powder and glue together. Stir until there is an even consistency with no lumps. 
  3. Measure out 4 ounces of liquid starch, and then add small amounts to the magnetic glue mixture at a time. Continue stirring as you add the starch. 
  4. You may not use the entire 4 oz of starch... make sure you add it slowly and stop once you reach the desired consistency of your goo. 
  5. After the starch is fully mixed in, remove the goo with your hands and knead it until it is pliable. 
  6. Now the goo is ready for action! Use the magnets to draw your goo in different directions! Make designs or have competitions to see who can get their goo to “travel” the farthest!  
  7. What can you do with your goo? Take pictures to record your experience! Does using more than one magnet make a difference? What if you use one magnet at each end? Have fun!!



Check out what you can do with your magnetic goo!

References

http://science.howstuffworks.com/magnet.htm

http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/04/magnetic-silly-putty.html

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/magnets.html

6 Comments

The Invincible Balloon

4/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Author: Maddie Van Beek


Before we start our activity today, we are going to learn the difference between a demonstration and an experiment. A demonstration is a visual representation of a scientific concept. For an activity to become an experiment, you need to have a variable. An experiment is defined as a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact. To complete an experiment, you must have a variable, or change, that you are observing.

Check out this link to learn more about what variables mean!


What are variables?
Important Vocabulary

  • Controlled variable
  • Independent variable
  • Dependent variable



Today, you are going to see how water absorbs heat. 


Water is unique in that it has a high capacity for heat absorption. When heat is added to water, water molecules begin to move faster and hydrogen bonds break. 

Picture
http://www.iun.edu/~cpanhd/C101webnotes/matter-and-energy/images/tempkin.jpg
The breaking of hydrogen bonds actually absorbs heat, which is why water’s temperature increases at a slower rate compared to other substances. 

Picture
http://resource.rockyview.ab.ca/t4t/chem20/images/m4/012_breaking_bonds.jpg
Because bodies of water can absorb A LOT of heat without a major change in temperature, water actually helps regulate our global climate!


Check out this video to see what you’ll be doing today!

Activity


YOU WILL NEED:

  • Two balloons
  • Funnel
  • Matches
  • Candle
  • Water
  • Water Pitcher 
  • An adult to help you



Here’s what to do! 

  1. Have an adult strike a match and light the candle.
  2. Blow up the first balloon. This is your control variable. 
  3. PREDICT: What will happen when you touch the flame of the candle to the balloon? 
  4. With an adult around to help you, bring the flame of the candle to the edge of the balloon. What happened? Record your observation. 
  5. This time, you are going to do something a little different. You are going to add water to the balloon. This is your independent variable. Use the funnel to help you get water into the balloon--place the funnel in the neck of the balloon and pour water from the pitcher into the funnel. 
  6. Blow the balloon up and tie it. 
  7. PREDICT: What will happen when you touch the flame of the candle to the balloon? Will you get the same result as last time? Why or why not? 
  8. If your candle has gone out, use a match to relight it. Bring the flame of the candle to the bottom of the balloon where the water has settled. What happens? Record your observations. 
  9. Why did the second balloon behave differently than the first balloon? 
  10. How could you enhance this experiment? As you learned earlier, good experiments include measurable variables. What you’ve done so far is not very measurable. How could you improve the experiment? Your independent variable is the water you put in the balloon. Would changing the amount of water affect how long the balloon takes to pop? Check it out! Try using different amounts of water and then timing how long it takes for the balloon to pop. Record you observations and make a graph to represent your findings.

    Follow-up Questions: What was your controlled variable in this experiment? What was your independent variable? What was your dependent variable? 





References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experiment

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_variables.shtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCjauF7xS5Q&feature=fvw

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/40-cool-science-experiments-web

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3440

0 Comments

Color explosions: Create your own tie-dye milk!

4/5/2015

1 Comment

 
Author: Maddie Van Beek

Today you are going to see how a simple drop of dish soap can affect surface tension and the chemical bonds of fats and proteins in milk. Although milk is mostly made up of water, it also contains vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins. These are evenly distributed as a solution and are held together by weak chemical bonds.




Before we move on, what is a chemical bond? A chemical bond occurs when two or more atoms are attracted together and combine to create a new chemical substance. Atoms may be attracted to one another for many different reasons, but nearly all bonds form because the final products are more stable than the original reactants. Some bonds are stronger than others. Weaker bonds are more easily broken. There are several types of chemical bonds, including ionic, covalent, and polar covalent bonds. 




Here’s one example of a chemical bond (more specifically, a covalent chemical bond): 

Picture
https://wirdou.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/water-covalent-bond.jpg?w=694&h=765





Learn more about bonds here:


Atom Bonds


Where else (besides in milk) might you find chemical bonds? 




Because the chemical bonds in milk are relatively weak, the solution is easily altered. When you add a drop of dish soap, for example, the bonds are broken and the molecules of fat and protein move around and bump into each other. 




What does dish soap have to do to with this? Think about trying to wash a greasy plate with no soap. The grease just resists the water, and you can never quite get it clean. If you add dish soap, no problem! The grease comes right off with the suds. Why is this?  Dish soap links grease and water together! The polar (hydrophilic) end of dish soap molecules are attracted to water while the nonpolar (hydrophobic) ends bind to the grease. This brings the water and grease together and allows you to scrub the grease off. 




In your activity, you will see how dish soap affects the bonds between fats and proteins in the milk!




Important terms:

  • Hydrophobic (water fearing)
  • Hydrophilic (water loving)
  • Chemical bonds



Check out this video to see what you will be doing today! 



YOU WILL NEED

  • Milk
  • Food coloring
  • Dish soap
  • Cotton swabs
  • Dinner Plate (make sure it’s deep enough to hold about 1/4 inch of liquid) 



Here’s what to do!

  1. Carefully pour milk onto the dinner plate until it is about 1/4 inch deep. 
  2. Add one drop of food coloring into the center of the milk on the plate. Be careful not to bump the plate!
  3. Select a second color and add one drop near the first drop. 
  4. Repeat step 3 with two other colors. 
  5. Select a cotton swab. 
  6. PREDICT: What will happen when you touch the cotton swab to the center of the milk?
  7. Touch the cotton swab to the center of the milk and record what happens. 
  8. Select a second cotton swab and squirt a small drop of liquid dish soap onto the end. 
  9. PREDICT: Now that you have added liquid dish soap, what will happen when you touch the cotton swab to the center of the milk?
  10. Check it out! Touch the cotton swab with dish soap to the center of the milk and hold it there for 15 seconds. How was this different than the first time you touched the plain cotton swab to the milk? Record your observations! 
  11. Select another cotton swab, add a drop of dish soap to the end, and try it again. What happens with you place the swab at different points in the milk? 



Reflect

What exactly did you observe? Why did the dish soap cause the colors in the milk to move? 




Extension

How can you make this demonstration an experiment? Instead of just using one kind of milk, try out this activity with different kinds of milk. For example, you could use skim, 1%, and 2%. You could also choose milk alternatives such as almond milk or soy milk. Observe the differences and then compare and analyze your results!





References

  • http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/milk-color-explosion#experiment-procedure
  • http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/mnstep/activities/34874.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_bond
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