BOOM! Simple Science Programs with Big Impact

1. BOOM! Simple Science Programs with Big Impact Jennifer Beach, Kenton Co. Public Library Summer Reading Conference October, 2013

2. Inspire Exploration! Science programs should be exciting, educational, and FUN! Inspire your attendees to want to know more!

3. You don’t have to be a scientist or an expert! • A fun and exciting program can be based upon • An interesting fact • An experience • A terrific book • The desire to know more about something

4. “Science” includes many things… • Some types of science programs to try: • Astronomy • Chemistry • Color • Energy • Forms of Matter • Geology • Sound • Weather

5. ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS Our Marvelous Moon Constellations

6. Our Marvelous Moon • Fiction and non –fiction books about the moon • Moon snacks- Oreo moon phases or Moon Pies • Textured moon paintings

7. Simple and easily obtainable materials… • Oreos (Golden are a good generally allergy-safe option) • Plastic spoons • Moon phase handouts • Grey paint • Flour • Cardstock • Paintbrushes • Empty plastic water bottles • Star stickers • White crayons or pencils • A bowl or large plastic lid for stencil

8. Use spoons to scrape off filling to create the phases of the moon. Eat your creations! Add flour to paint and paint a thick circle for the moon’s surface. Use the cap of an empty water bottle to make crater impressions. Add stars!

9. Constellations- Stories in the sky • Fiction and non-fiction books about stars and constellations • Constellation flashlight viewers • A fun star snack

10. Simple, easily obtainable materials… • Constellation patterns • Toilet rolls • Black construction paper • Push pins • Tape • Scissors • Scraps of cardboard • White pencils

11. Cut out a constellation pattern. Trace the circle on black construction paper, and place both on the scrap of cardboard. Use a push pin to poke a hole for each dot in the pattern. Attach to one end of the roll, and tape in place. Shine a flashlight through, and… constellation in your room!

12. Kitchen Chemistry! • Balloon Blow-Up • Flobber

13. Balloon Blow-up • Fiction and non-fiction books about chemistry and balloons • Blow up a balloon with chemistry!

14. Simple, easily obtainable materials… Empty water bottles Balloons Baking soda Vinegar Funnels Electrical or masking tape

15. Use a funnel to fill the bulb of a balloon with baking soda. With another funnel, pour vinegar into the bottle, filling about it about 1/3. Stretch the open end of the balloon around the mouth of the bottle, being careful not to dump the baking soda yet. Tape the balloon in place. Pull the balloon gently straight up, dumping the baking soda into the bottle. Watch your balloon inflate!

16. Flobber! (Creating polymers) • Fiction and non-fiction books about chemistry and slime • Creating a polymer known as Flobber

17. Simple, easy-to-obtain materials… • Elmer’s white glue • Borax • Water • Food coloring • Paper cups • Popsicle sticks or plastic spoons • Measuring cups and spoons

18. 1 TBSP Elmer’s Glue ½ tspn Borax ½ C water Food coloring 2 paper cups Dissolve Borax in water in one paper cup. Pour glue into second cup, add four drops of food coloring, and stir. Add 1 TBSP Borax solution to the glue, and stir until it begins to form a sticky ball. Remove it from the cup and knead it until it resembles Silly Putty. Store in an air-tight container.

19. Color! • Color wheel spinners • Coffee filter butterflies

20. Color Wheel • Fiction and non-fiction books about color and light • Decorate the color wheels • Experiment! • Multi-colored snacks (such as gummies)

21. Simple, easy-to-obtain materials… • Plain white paper plates • Hole punch • String or yarn • markers

22. Fold the paper plate in half and punch two holes in the center of the plate, approximately 1” apart. Unfold the plate; have the children color in different manners- bars of color from the center to the edge, blobs of color, stripes across the entire plate. Run a length of string through the two holes, and tie to make a loop. Spin the plate so that it “winds up” and then pull the string to let it “unwind.” Observe what happens to the colors!

23. Coffee Filter Butterflies • Fiction and non-fiction books about color and butterflies • Coffee filter butterflies! • Butterfly snack or color snack (gummies are good!)

24. Simple, easily obtainable materials… • Non-permanent markers (Mr. Sketch works best for this) • White coffee filters • Cups of water • Chenille stems • Clothespins

25. Draw a circle with a black or brown marker around the edge of the flat part of the filter (where it meets the side.) fold the filter in half, then half again, to form a cone. Put the cone in a cup of water, with the point of the cone just touching the water. Watch what happens!

26. Forms of Matter- Glop -or- Non-Newtonian Fluids! • Non-Fiction and fiction books about states of matter, quicksand, and science in general, Bartholomew and the Oobleck • Create a Non-Newtonian Fluid… also known as GLOPor Oobleck. • Pudding or jellosnack

27. Simple, easily obtained materials… • Corn starch • Water • Bowls • Spoons or popsicle sticks • Food coloring • Plastic cups

28. Put water in a cup and add food coloring. Fill a bowl ½ way with corn starch. Slowly add colored water to the bowl of cornstarch, and watch how the substance changes. Tap the surface with the spoon. Is it liquid? Solid? Both? Try to pour it from the spoon to the bowl. Try to pick it up and “break” it… *Disclaimer: do not dump this in a sink! It willstop up the pipes! Be sure to dispose in the trash!

29. Energy! • Potential energy • Kinetic Energy • Solar energy

30. Potential/Kinetic Energy • Dominoes! • Popsicle sticks!

31. Solar Energy! • Solar pizza box ovens (see handout!) • UV beads • Solar print paper

32. Geology! • Fossils! • Minerals • Rocks • Land forms

33. Fossils…you can eat! • Fiction and non-fiction books about fossils, dinosaurs, etc. • Fossils to display- found or purchased (or borrowed!) • Create edible fossil layers

34. Simple, easily obtained materials… • Pudding cups • Graham crackers • Chocolate cookies • Gummy dinosaurs • Small candies • Fruit slices • Clear plastic cups • Permanent markers • Plastic spoons • Etc… (see handout!)

35. Sound! • Cup and String telephones • Craft stick kazoos • See handout!

36. Weather! • Shaving foam rain clouds • Rain in a jar

37. Shaving Cream Rain Clouds • Clear plastic cups • Water • Shaving foam • Food coloring

38. Rain in a Jar • Glass jars • Hot (!) water • Plastic plate • Ice cubes

39. Have Fun!!