Category: Science Books (Page 53 of 87)

Desert Science Books and Activities

Today we were inspired by two new picture books about deserts and desert animals. See full reviews at our sister blog, Wrapped in Foil.

Get to Know Gila Monsters (Get To Know Reptiles) by Flora Brett is a simple text for beginning readers that helps sort myth from facts about this unique lizard found only in the desert Southwest.

A Day and Night in the Desert (Caroline Arnold’s Habitats) by Caroline Arnold reveals which desert creatures are active during which parts of the day and night. Although it centers on animals and plants found in the Sonoran desert, the book also contains a map showing where deserts are located throughout the world.

Desert Mammals Activity

We often think of cacti and reptiles when we think of deserts, but as A Day and Night in the Desert shows, there are quite a few mammals found in deserts as well.

Some mammals found in deserts:

  • Jackrabbits
  • Coyotes
  • Foxes
  • Ringtails
  • Coatis
  • Skunks
  • Cougars
  • Bobcats
  • Bighorn sheep
  • Javelinas
  • Bats
  • Ground squirrels
  • Mice
  • Packrats
  • Rats

Pick a desert mammal and find out more about it.

ground-squirrel-puffy

This ground squirrel is all puffed up on a cold morning.

For example, is the mammal diurnal or nocturnal? Is it active all year around or does it hibernate for part of the year? What does it eat? What is its life cycle? Does it have any special ways to conserve water in the desert?

javelinaWhat are these javelinas (also called collared peccaries) doing to keep cool?

Create a lapbook, poster, diorama, or report about your findings.

Resources to check:

1. The AZ-Sonora Desert Museum has an extensive list of fact sheets about desert bats as well as fact sheets about other desert animals and plants.

2. Pima Community College in Tucson has online facts about desert mammals

3. Arizona Naturalists has information about Sonora desert mammals

4. Tohono Chul Gardens has a number of desert related handouts on their website. Scroll down to “Fun and Smart Projects for Kids,” and look for links to the Desert Pathfinders Activity Booklet (this link takes you directly to the .pdf), Saguaros, etc.

5. Look for the Desert Habitats activities page on our Growing With Science website.

Looking for a list of more books for kids about desert habitats? Try our growing list at Science Books for Kids.

desert-books-button

Disclosures:  These books were provided by the publisher for review purposes.  I am an affiliate for Amazon, and if you click through the linked titles or ads and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Proceeds will be used to maintain this self-hosted blog.

 

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

 

Chemistry Resources for Teens

Teen interested in chemistry? Are you a high school student who needs to augment your chemistry class? We have gathered some awesome chemistry resources for the 13- to 19-year-old crowd to get you started.

1. Video Chemistry Courses

As you probably already know, instructional videos are a wonderful way to learn a new subject or clarify concepts. Some teachers offer their entire lectures/courses online. Here are some of the best we have found:

Mr. Anderson at Bozeman Science has both Essentials Chemistry and AP Chemistry playlists.

Here is an example of one of his videos:

Crash Course Chemistry has a more “popular science” feel, but contains in depth information, as well as historical perspective. It is hosted by video legend Hank Green.

He starts this video sharing his ideas of how important chemistry is. Who wouldn’t want to study chemistry after watching it?

See a longer list of online chemistry videos at East Valley Chem Club.

2. Chemistry Books

Most young adults (what publishers call the reading category for teenagers) experience chemistry in the form of textbooks for their high school chemistry class.  There are, however, a number of popular science books written for adults about chemistry that may be appropriate and interesting for young adult readers as well.

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean

Kean takes the reader on a narrative romp through the periodic table, revealing human foibles along the way. He answers how were elements discovered and who discovered them. Why are certain elements useful and what properties does they have? Interesting tidbits, such as the use of gallium by practical jokers to create “disappearing spoons,” keeps the reader engaged and enthralled.

(This is a book written for adults. If you have any questions about the suitability of a nonfiction book written for adults, particularly for a young teen audience, you should probably read it yourself first.)

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (June 6, 2011)
ISBN-10: 9780316051637
ISBN-13: 978-0316051637
ASIN: 0316051632

For more suggestions, see Science Books for Kids for Popular Chemistry Books for Young Adults.

popular-chemistry-books-for-young-adults-300x225

3. General Chemistry Links

Chemmy Bear has tutorials, notes, animations and tons of other useful information, especially for AP students.

The Exploratorium has Science of Cooking.

Rader’s Chem4Kids explains many basic concepts in a particularly clear way.

Want to learn more about dyes? Try The Chemistry of Dyeing.

What’s That Stuff explains the chemistry of everyday items (from 2010 and earlier).

PhET has awesome chemistry simulations for some virtual chemistry

Compound Interest reveals chemistry via fascinating infographics. Expect to explore the chemistry everything from highlighters to onions.

Free Rice helps you memorize the chemical symbols for the elements.

4. To the Lab

Many colleges now require high school students to have completed what they call “wet labs,” meaning hands-on experiments rather than virtual ones. This requirement can be particularly tricky for homeschooled students, but there are resources available.

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (DIY Science) by Robert Bruce Thompson

If you have been looking for a chemistry lab, you have probably seen this book. It lays out a complete course of chemistry experiments a wet laboratory for the serious high school-aged student (definitely not for elementary or middle school ages). It is comprehensive in its coverage and the instructions are clearly written.

Big Hint:   Robert Bruce Thompson, the author, also offers high school science kits at The Home Scientist website. If you purchase a kit, it comes with a .pdf manual of the experiments you can perform with the kit.

Series: DIY Science
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Maker Media, Inc; 1 edition (May 9, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0596514921
ISBN-13: 978-0596514921

Note:  Some of these experiments may require equipment that is not readily available for home situations. However, it is often possible to substitute. For example, a Pyrex measuring cup may be substituted for a beaker and will often have markings for metric measurements on one side.

Robert Farber 18 chemistry labs at Off the Shelf Chemistry

Flinn Scientific has supplies, resources and videos geared for educators, but could be useful for students as well.

PlayChem is a series of labs from Rutgers

Evan’s Regents Chemistry Corner has labs (as free .pdf)

If you want to do a chemistry science fair project, Science Buddies is the place to start.

________________________________________________________

We are celebrating chemistry this week. The Table of Contents page for Chemistry Week has related posts.

Slide1

Disclosures:  I am an affiliate for Amazon, and if you click through the linked titles or ads and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Proceeds will be used to maintain this self-hosted blog.

Easy Exothermic and Endothermic Chemical Reactions for Kids

Usually on Wednesdays we feature Bug of the Week, so today’s chemistry lesson is inspired by insects.

Dr. Thomas Eisner was a very curious man. He was particularly curious about insects, like the beetle shown in this video (has pop-up ad).

When he discovered these particular beetles, Dr. Eisner began to experiment with them because he wanted to know what and how they were squirting. One of the unexpected things he found out was that the temperature of the spray the beetle released was very hot, nearly 100° C. How could that be?

Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions

Sometimes chemical reactions between two or more substances give off or take in energy, often in the form of heat. In exothermic reactions, heat energy is given off during the reaction and the temperature increases. In endothermic reactions heat energy is removed by the reaction (“taken in”) and the temperature of the reactants decreases.

Below are two chemical reactions that use household products. Find out whether they are exothermic or endothermic.

Notes:  These activities are messy fun, so perform them in a sink, tub, or outdoors in an area where wet spills are not a problem. Also, scientists never eat or drink their experiments!

Reaction 1.

Materials:

  • About 26 g lemonade drink mix* (make sure the primary ingredient is citric acid)
  • Baking soda
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup dry measuring cup
  • Water (room temperature)
  • Large Styrofoam cup (to help insulate the reaction)
  • Container (glass or cup) to mix the drink mix and water in
  • Thermometer or temperature probe
  • Spoon

* Math alert:  Originally I used Crystal Light pink lemonade mix, which came in 3.68 g packets (see the serving size information for the number of grams per packet). I used 7 packets for about 28 g. Then I switched to an off brand, and the packets were 2.6 g each (10 packets for 26 g). It worked just as well. Also, check the amount of vitamin C information on the labels. The raspberry-flavored lemonade mix contained significantly more citric acid for some reason.

citric-acid-cups

Procedure 1:

  1. Measure 100 mL (approx. 1/3 cup) of room temperature water and pour into in a container.
  2. Add 26 g of drink mix into the water in the container. Stir until completely dissolved.
  3. Use the thermometer or probe to measure the temperature of the solution, taking care not to rest the thermometer or probe on the bottom or side of the cup.
  4. Measure 1/4 cup baking soda into the Styrofoam cup.
  5. In a sink or similar area, quickly add the drink mix solution to the baking soda in the Styrofoam cup.
  6. As the reaction starts to slow, take the temperature again. (You may want to let the children touch the solution and compare to the room temperature water. They will need to wash their hands afterwards.)

reaction 1 citric acid

Did the temperature of the contents of the Styrofoam cup  go up or down?

Reaction 2:

Materials:

  • 2 teaspoons active yeast
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Measuring teaspoon
  • Water at room temperature
  • Cup or similar container for mixing yeast
  • Large Styrofoam cup
  • Thermometer or temperature probe
  • Hydrogen peroxide (be sure to use 3 %, the kind sold for home use) – held at room temperature
  • Spoon

Procedure 2.

  1. Measure 100 mL of room temperature water (approx. 1/3 cup) and pour into the yeast-mix container.
  2. Mix the 2 teaspoons dry yeast into the water. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
  3. Take the temperature of the solution, taking care not to rest the thermometer on the bottom or side of the cup.
  4. Add 100 mL (about 1/3 cup) 3% hydrogen peroxide to the Styrofoam cup.
  5. Take the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide, taking care not to rest the thermometer on the bottom or side of the cup. The two solutions should be roughly the same temperature.
  6. In a sink or similar area, add the yeast solution to the hydrogen peroxide in the Styrofoam cup.
  7. As the reaction starts to slow, take the temperature again. (You may want to let the children touch the solution and compare to the room temperature water. They will need to wash their hands afterwards.)

Did the temperature go down or up?

reaction-2-hydrogen-peroxide

 

Which reaction was endothermic? Which reaction was exothermic? Let us know what you find out.

 

_____________________________

If you are interested in learning more about the beetles, read the first chapter in:

For Love of Insects by Thomas Eisner

______________________________________________________________________

For more chemistry activities, check the Table of Contents for Chemistry Week page.

Slide1

« Older posts Newer posts »