Category: Fun Science Activity (Page 28 of 112)

Desert Science Books and Activities

February 13, 2015 / Roberta / 2 Comments

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.

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?

What 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.

Disclosures:Â These books were provided by the publisher for review purposes.Â 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 Experiments for Kids Using Salt

January 25, 2015 / Roberta / 0 Comments

We are running a bit behind with our Chemistry Week posts, but better late than never.

Table salt, or sodium chloride, is inexpensive and easy to obtain. It can also be used for a number of different chemistry experiments.

Introduction

This video explains some background about the history and chemistry of sodium chloride.

Credit: NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation (NSF)

1. A Test for Iodide in Table Salt

Gather:

Iodized table salt
Non-iodized table salt
Hydrogen peroxide (be sure to use 3 %, the kind sold for home use in pharmacies)
Corn Starch
Water
Tablespoon and teaspoon-sized measuring spoons
Liquid measuring cup
Three clear containers, such as glasses or plastic cups
Stirring rods or spoons
Sharpie marker, tape or other materials to label the containers

1. Label the containers: A) hydrogen peroxide + iodized salt, B) hydrogen-peroxide + non-iodized salt, and C) water + iodized salt.

2. Measure 100 mL (about 1/3 cup) of water and add it to container C. Measure 100 mL (about 1/3 cup) hydrogen peroxide (3%) and add it to container A. Next measure 100 mL (about 1/3 cup) hydrogen peroxide (3%) and add it to container B.

3. Add two Tablespoons of iodized salt to container A and stir. Add two Tablespoons of iodized salt to container C and stir. Add two Tablespoons of non-iodized salt to container B and stir.

4. Observe the containers for a few minutes. Record any changes that occur.

Check our iodine chemistry post to see what iodine looks like in water or hydrogen peroxide. Do you see anything that looks similar?

5. Now add 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch to each container. What happens?

I love this reaction! It is quick and fairly easy to understand. Let me know if you have any questions about procedures or results.

Tom Kuntzleman has another version of this experiment with the chemistry explained. Here is his video:

2. Studying Density: Table Salt versus Salt SenseÂ®

According to the label of the product, Salt SenseÂ® contains real salt, but there is â€œ33% less sodium per teaspoon.â€ How is this possible?

Prior to starting, answer the following questions:
What do you know about salt and its structure? How might the company achieve its claim of 33% less sodium per teaspoon? Is there 33% less chloride as well?

Materials:

Iodized Table Salt
Iodized Salt SenseÂ® (Available in grocery stores and online)
Microscope or hand lens
Petri dishes or similar shallow, clear containers
Measuring beakers or graduated cylinders
Kitchen scale that can weigh grams
Laboratory notebook or paper
Pen for recording results

Procedure:

1. Place a small sample of table salt in one petri dish and a sample of Salt SenseÂ® in a second petri dish. Look at the samples under the microscope.

Draw what you see for each sample. How might the differences you observe change the amount of sodium per teaspoon?

2. Calculate the density of each substance.

Density = mass/volume

where mass is the weight of the salt in grams and volume is the amount of salt in mL.

Tare a measuring beaker on the scale (ask the instructor or read the manual if you donâ€™t know what â€œtareâ€ means.)

Pour 20 mL of table salt in the beaker. Weigh the table salt in grams and record the weight.

Now tare the second beaker. Add 20 mL of Salt SenseÂ® to the beaker and weigh it. Record the weight in grams.

Calculate the density of each sample. Which sample is less dense? How much less dense is it?

How might you make your results more accurate?

Manufacturer Diamond Crystalâ€™s explanation of Salt SenseÂ®

Other experiments and activities with salt:

Grow your own salt crystals at About.com

Using salt to melt ice at NBC Learn (grades 9-12)

(Public domain photograph of salt and pepper by Jon Sullivan)

Chemistry Resources for Teens

January 23, 2015 / Roberta / 0 Comments

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.Â 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.

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: Â 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:Â 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.

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

Disclosures:Â 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.