Category: Science Books (Page 76 of 87)

Science Book Week: Electromagnetic Spectrum Part I

October 17, 2011 / Roberta / 0 Comments

I am going to do something a bit different this week. On Friday I will be hosting the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Friday book meme here at Growing with Science. To celebrate, I am going to have a post with recently-published science books every day this week.

Our books today are What Do We Know About Stars & Galaxies? by John Farndon and Milky Way and Other Galaxies (The Solar System and Beyond) by Megan Kopp are excellent introductions to all the new discoveries that have been made about galaxies: how galaxies form and how they behave. (See Wrapped in Foil for a full review of the books.)

Illustration from NASA

How do scientists study objects in space? Modern astronomers use a variety of telescopes to capture information about the universe. Often the telescopes are part of orbiting satellites in space. Megan Kopp’s book, in particular, covers the technology that is used to study galaxies. She talks about the Hubble Telescope, the James Webb Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2, affectionately known as the AMS-2.

How do telescopes monitor galaxies? The telescopes capture light or some of other forms of radiant energy, such as radio waves, infrared, or microwaves. These forms of radiant energy are called electromagnetic radiation.

What is the electromagnetic spectrum? It shows range of frequencies of the different forms of electromagnetic radiation. At one end, radio waves have a low frequency (long wavelength) and at the other, gamma waves are high frequency (short wavelength).

(The electromagnetic spectrum from lowest energy/longest wavelength (at the top) to highest energy/shortest wavelength (at the bottom). (Credit: NASA’s Imagine the Universe))

This week we will start with an introductory activity to organize the information, plus discuss radio waves. Next week we’ll investigate more of the different forms of electromagnetic radiation in Part 2.

Activities:

1. Create an electromagnetic spectrum wall chart.

Use a wall chart to record your observations about each type of radiation.

Gather:

a roll of paper about five to six feet long (butcher’s paper works great)
colored markers
tape to fix the paper to the wall (painter’s tape won’t leave a mark)
yardstick (optional)
an example of the electromagnetic spectrum like the one above (search the internet for “electromagnetic spectrum images”)

Study the example of the electromagnetic spectrum. Write the names of the different types of radiation from left to right across the center of the paper in order of size of wavelength: Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays. Add information to the chart under each type as you learn more doing the activities.

2. What is a wave?

You may have read that light and its relatives travel in waves. What does that mean?

Think about physical waves, like the waves in the ocean or sound waves. Electromagnetic waves exhibit a similar motion.

See how you can vary the wave with different motions. Gather a jump rope or other heavy rope. Have two children hold each end to the rope tightly. Now have one move the rope up and down while the other stays still. Can you create a wave motion? What happens when you speed up or slow down? How about if you move your arm higher or less?

Now we will look at different types of electromagnetic radiation, starting at the radio waves, which have the largest wavelength and low energy, to gamma rays, which have the smallest wavelength and highest energy.

3. Radio waves

Have you ever wondered how radios work? How does electricity and sound waves become transmitted through the air via radio waves?

How Radios Work from NPR
Radio Wave Lesson Plans

Currently the largest telescope to detect radio waves from space is the Arecibo Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico.

Studying the electromagnetic spectrum helps us understand more about astronomy, as well as other fields like communication and medicine and it is really too much for a single post. I will link to posts about microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays as they are published.

Edit: Part 2 is now published.

Our books today:

Earth Space and Beyond: What Do We Know About Stars & Galaxies? by John Farndon

Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Raintree
ISBN-10: 1406226289
ISBN-13: 978-1406226287

What Do We Know About Stars & Galaxies? Express version by John Farndon

Reading level: 3 (simpler version for younger children)
Library Binding: 48 pages
Publisher: Heinemann-Raintree (August 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1410941620
ISBN-13: 978-1410941626

Milky Way and Other Galaxies (The Solar System and Beyond) by Megan Kopp

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1429672277
ISBN-13: 978-1429672276

Disclosures: Books were supplied by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate for Amazon. 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.

Weekend Science Fun: Science Fair Season

September 17, 2011 / Roberta / 0 Comments

Our post today was inspired by the book Science Fair Season:Â Twelve Kids, a Robot Named Scorch . . . and What It Takes to Win by Judy Dutton about twelve kids preparing for the 2009 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Although written for adults, teens and mature middle grade students are also likely to find stories about their peer’s quests for science fame and scholarships compelling reading. Â (Longer review).

Now is the time to start planning for those science fair projects. If you child or teen is interested in science, there are a number of options for participating. Let’s take a look at a few.

The first place to check for science fairs is your local school, school district or homeschool organization. Many middle school science classes now require students take part in a school science fair, selecting winners to send on to the regional or state competitions (see resource list link at bottom).

If you can’t find any options, don’t worry. Many of the regional and state competitions will accept individual projects. My son’s elementary school did not offer a science fair, but he did a project and went to the state science fair anyway. (He did have to take a day off from school.) Or consider the Google Science Fair (below).

The affiliated state and regional science fairs then send winners on to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair mentioned in the book. This page has a search box to help you find nearby Intel ISEF affiliated science fairs.

Are you a high school senior? The deadline for the Siemens competition entries is coming up fast: October 3, 2011.Â If you are not a senior, you can still participate as part of a team project. (MoreÂ about the types and amounts of scholarships Siemens offers.)

Discovery Education/3M also have what they call the Young Scientist Challenge for students in grades 5-8. Although the 2011 challenge is already concluded, be on the lookout for information for 2012.

For grades 6-8, you also might want to look into the Broadcom Masters Competition.Â Once again, you must participate in an affiliated science fair and then be nominated to go to the Broadcom Masters.

Live in Canada? Check the Youth Science Canada website for tons of information.

The Google Global Science Fair is open to whoever wants to create a website and enter their project.Â Â Both of those would be completed next spring (2012), but if you go to the website now you can sign up for an e-mail reminder to be sent when registration starts.

You can’t help but feel the excitement in this video about last year’s finalists.

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Not sure you want to do a research project but still interested in science? One of our friends takes part in the National Science Bowl, a Jeopardy-style competition for teams.

We would love to hear about your science fair experiences!

Places to find out more about science fairs and get ideas for projects:

Enormous list of regional, state and national science fairs

Archimedes Project has videos of more than 50 science fair students giving advice

Science Buddies is a huge resource of ideas and information

Discovery Education has Science Fair Central

And let’s not forget, the Experiment List here at Growing With Science might give you a few ideas 🙂

Activities to Accompany A Butterfly is Patient

June 12, 2011 / Roberta / 6 Comments

This weekend we were inspired by an absolutely gorgeous new picture book, A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long. (See review at Wrapped In Foil.)

Aston and Long have collaborated on two other wonderful books, A Egg is Quiet and A Seed is Sleepy. If you are familiar with those books, you will know to expect extraordinary illustrations and accurate, age-appropriate information written in lyrical text. In this book all about butterflies, they have outdone even themselves. A Butterfly Is Patient is definitely inspiring!

Activities to learn more about butterflies:

1. Study Caterpillar and Butterfly Anatomy

Have you ever spent time actually studying the parts of a caterpillar or butterfly? I know, it may be hard to look past the bright colors and beauty, but studying how these animals go together helps you appreciate them in a different way.

Try to find a smooth caterpillar like this tobacco hornworm (some of the fuzzy or spiky ones have stinging hairs, so don’t pick up those.) Gently coax it onto a leaf or stem where you can observe it with a hand lens. See if you can find the following organs and structures.

In this side view of a moth caterpillar, we can see the thorax (the three segments right behind the head), and the abdomen quite clearly. The thorax is where we find the six true legs, which are the identifying characteristics of insects. What are those fleshy appendages on the abdomen, aren’t those legs? From a scientific perspective, those are not true legs, but are called prolegs. They are used for walking and clinging to leaves just like legs, but they lack the joints of a true leg.Â As you will see, the adult will have only the true legs.

The small circles on the sides of the caterpillar are spiracles, the openings through the insect’s exoskeleton that allow it to take in air.

In this view, we can see the caterpillar’s head. At the bottom of the head are the mandibles, the pruning scissor-like jaws that it uses to cut food. Slightly above and to the side of the jaws are the ocelli, which are simple eye spots. The caterpillar probably doesn’t see much with those tiny spots, maybe only whether it is light or dark out. This photograph shows a better view of the jointed legs.

After the caterpillar transforms into a pupa and then a butterfly, we see different structures.

What a transformation!

Instead of tiny ocelli on its head, the butterfly has large compound eyes. The mouth has become a long tube for sucking nectar from flowers (some butterflies actually lack a mouth altogether). There were antennal buds on the head of the caterpillar, but now the butterfly has full blown antennae.

The true legs are long and delicate and the prolegs are gone. Attached to the thorax are the wings. If you read a book about how to identify butterflies, it will probably describe markings on the upper or forewings, or the lower hind wings. The raised structures in the wings, called wing veins, are also important for identification.

Can you find the mouthparts and the spiracles on this giant swallowtail butterfly?

Activity 2. Butterfly Life Cycle

Butterflies go through a complex series of changes during the life cycle, a process called complete metamorphosis.

Let’s explore the life cycle of the queen butterfly, and then make a poster.

The queen butterfly starts out life as an egg laid by the female butterfly on a milkweed plant.

A caterpillar emerges from the egg, and begins to feed on the plant.

When it has reached its full size, the caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis.

After a week or so, out comes the adult butterfly.

Use this information to prepare a butterfly life cycle poster, perhaps like this one from Enchanted Learning.

For more photographs, try these related posts:

Activity 3. Raise a butterfly or moth

At some point in their childhood, most budding scientists raise a caterpillar to find out what it turns out to be.

You might want to start with silkworms, which can be raised on an artificial diet or mulberry leaves.
Learn the ins and outs of raising caterpillars.

Activity 4. Make a colorful coffee filter butterfly craft here at Growing With Science

Activity 5. Butterfly gardening

It is amazing that you can bring butterflies into your yard by planting a few special plants. You can then watch the life cycles in a more natural setting.

Some butterfly favorite plants are: