Science Wows is all about sparking children’s natural interests in Science!
It is learning while having fun!Whatever the event, whatever the venue it is Hands-on Science for children. Party entertainment, school visits, fun days, corporate events …. there are even local science camps during school holidays.
If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself”
That is (apparently) one of Einstein’s many quotes. It took me a while to realise just how true these words are, but once I did I was able to marry a love of writing with a love of science. I discovered that once I broke things down to their most simple components
Dr. How’s Science Wows was set up by me (Naomi) in 2011. My background is biochemistry with a PhD in Molecular Biology; I have worked in the Medical Diagnostic Industry and lectured at third level colleges but the crux of what I do lies in many years working with children; from two to 20 they all have one thing in common…. curiosity!
These two experiments are inspired by Dr. Simples latest post about “Why the sea is salty“.
First up to show the effect of adding salt to water…
1. THE FLOATING EGG EXPERIMENT
Take the floating egg experiment one step further!
Take this one step further….
We mentioned in the video that you can take this experiment a step further.
Float the egg in the salty water as before.
Add a few drops of food colouring to a jug of unsalted water.
Carefully pour this coloured water down the side of the glass so that it sits on top of the salty water.
The egg will sit between the two layers… can you see it in this picture?
2. OCEAN IN A BOTTLE EXPERIMENT
This is a really simple experiment but always keeps both young and old entertained!
All you need for this experiment is…
an empty clear plastic bottle (a 1 or 2L soft drink bottle will work fine)
water
cooking oil (any kind)
Blue food colouring
A funnel
What you do…
Using the funnel fill the plastic bottle about one third full with water
Add a few drops of food colouring to colour the water blue
Using the funnel again fill the bottle with the oil (you will notice that the water and oil will quickly settle into two separate layers)
Close the lid tightly on the bottle and turn the bottle on its side
The water layer will be on the bottom of the bottle
If you rock the bottle from side to side you can create a wave like motion of the water, looking just like a little ocean in a bottle; see what kind of waves you can make!
Ocean in a bottle
How does it work…
This is a good experiment to explain density. The oil is less dense than the water so it will sit on top of the water, creating two separate layers. The layer of oil keeps the water contained within the bottom half of the water and makes the movement of the water look like waves where the two liquids meet.
I have discussed density in more detail in this previous post as well as sharing lots more density experiments.
If you get bored of your ocean in a bottle, why not stand it upright again and add some Alka Seltzer tablets to instantly turn it into a lava lamp!
This week’s question for Dr. Simple came in from a little boy who has just turned five and sometimes goes by the name of Spidey (you might find him here); He wants to know…
Why is the sea salty?
This is a great question and Dr. Simple was delighted to “dive right in” and answer it!
Before Dr. Simple gets stuck in it might be a good idea to look at the definition of a sea and an ocean. Dr. Simple will use the word sea to mean both, which is commonly done, but there is actually a difference between the two words…
I love this time of year when so many favourite flowers are in bloom and the air is filled with their heady scents. Although I love all plants I have always been drawn to those that have a particular function. The first thing I did once I got my own tiny patch of garden was to plant herbs, and I have kept that up ever since. From cooking, to scenting to health and wellbeing, herbs have it all.
Another function I enjoy in plants is their symbolism and meaning. A few years ago this led me to do some research on nosegays.
A nosegay is a posy of aromatic herbs and flowers that dates back to the sixteenth century. Originally these were a necessity for ladies, carrying them through the streets to disguise all unpleasant smells and protecting from plague and disease. Although they were created for aromatic and disinfectant purpose they soon became fashionable for a very different reason… the symbolic meaning of each plant contained within the nosegay. Suddenly a functional bouquet can become a personal and charming gift.
I have made many nosegays for friends and family over the years, often picking a theme and including the appropriate plants… maybe a gift for a friend who has been ill, containing herbs symbolising protection, health and a speedy recovery; or an array for the arrival of a new baby… containing wishes and virtues to bestow upon the infant.
This is what I found in my garden and nearby hedgerow
Today I was drawn into the garden once more, the scents of herbs and flowers were just bursting into the Summer air.
So I gathered so many favourites, like a child in a sweet shop, unable to show restraint… I chose every plant I could think of, and I have compiled them into a very big bouquet as a virtual gift for all you lovely readers.
This one is for you…
A nosegay to say…
I wish I could send all the lovely scents with this virtual bouquet but instead I will wish you all the virtues it bestows. As a thank you for reading, sharing, commenting and letting me know that you really do like what I write…
Yesterday Dr. Simple answered the question… Why is the sky blue?
Sometimes it is nice to get the “proof behind the science” so I thought I would share our four favourite light experiments so your children can find out how it works for themselves!
First up, an experiment to demonstrate what Dr. Simple was talking about yesterday…
Make a blue sky in a jar
Make a blue sky in a jar
You will need…
A clean glass jar, water, milk, a spoon, a torch and a dark room.
What to do…
Fill the jar two-thirds full with water and add half a tea spoon of milk.
Mix well.
Turn on the torch, make sure the room is dark, then shine the torch at the jar of liquid, holding the torch to one side of the jar and look at the colour of the liquid from the front.
The milky liquid will appear light blue in colour (move the torch closer to, or farther from the jar if necessary).
What is happening?…
Tiny particles in the milk act just like the tiny particles in the atmosphere, they scatter light shining upon them. When the light comes from the side of the jar the light of shorter wavelength, like blue light, is scattered the most so this is the colour we observe.
Now with a little alteration you can make…
Sunset in a jar
A sunset in a jar
What to do…
This is the same experiment as the previous one, only this time shine the torch at the back of the jar while you observe the colour from the front. Now the milky water should appear red.
What is happening?…
When we shine the torch from the back of the jar the light is scattered differently. This time most of the blue light has been scattered away from our line of sight so the dominant colour to reach our eye is red light, hence the solution appears red.
Remember how Dr. Simple said that even though sunlight might appear white it is actually made up of all the colours of the rainbow? Here is an experiment to prove that…
Make a rainbow
Make your own Rainbow
You will need…
A plastic container, a piece of white card, a mirror and a sunny day!
What to do…
Fill the plastic container about two- thirds full with water and place it on the ground outside, in direct sunlight.
Place a mirror into the water and prop it up at an angle so the sun shines on it.
Hold the white card away from the mirror and move it from side to side or back and forth until you capture the rainbow on the card!
So what is happening?…
Water bends (refracts) light that passes through it. Each colour bends a slightly different amount so the colours separate. The separated colours are bounced off the mirror and the image is caught on the piece of white card.
If you want a simpler version of this experiment take an old CD out into the sunshine and tilt the side without the label to the Sun. You will see a rainbow of colour appear on the CD at the point where the Sun shines.
Bend light
Make a fountain of light
You will need…
An empty plastic bottle (one or two litre), a pin or needle, a torch, a sink or basin and a dark room.
What to do…
Place the empty bottle beside the sink and, using the pin, make a small hole in the side of the bottle, about half way up.
Place your finger over the hole and fill the bottle with water.
Turn on the torch and shine the torch on the bottle, behind the hole. Make sure the side with the hole is positioned towards the sink.
Remove your finger and let the water pour into the sink. See how the stream of water lights up.
So what is happening?…
Light bends when in water so when we shine the light from behind the stream of water the light is reflected off the side and bends with it… effective the light is trapped within it.
This week’s question for Dr. Simple came from a source very close to home… my eight year old wants to know
“Why is the Sky blue?”
I told him we would put it to Dr. Simple, so here it is, in 30 seconds…
If you have any other questions on this topic or another do leave a message in the comments below. There are lots of great questions coming in for Dr. Simple but he always loves getting more!
If you need a little convincing about all this information on light and colour you can check it out for yourself as I will be sharing some great experiments on tomorrow’s Fun Friday post!
This week Dr. Simple answers a question that comes in from a lovely little girl who can sometimes be found here; she would like to know…
What makes the wind?
Did you like Dr. Simple’s explanation or did you find it “a load of hot air“?
Personally I preferred the little girl’s own explanation… she reckons the wind is made by the trees flapping their leaves! A much more simple, and beautiful, explanation, don’t you think?
Remember to keep your questions coming, just leave them in the comments below and Dr, Simple will be happy to answer!
it is all about imagination on the blog this week and what better way to spark a child’s imagination that with fairies! A belief in the little folk requires a leap of faith, a journey into the unknown and a lot of imagination. Here in the Science Wows house we have lots of all three which is why we are such fans!
Win a lovely Fairy door from The Irish Fairy Door Company
The lovely people over at The Irish Fairy Door Company have offered one lucky Science Wows reader a chance to win one of their wonderful fairy doors. The giveaway is open until 12 am on Monday 7th July so get tweeting, sharing and liking to be in with your chance to win this great prize!
Now repeat after me… “I do believe in fairies, I do, I do!”
Competition open to residents of Ireland and the UK.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I have not received any payment for it, the Irish Fairy Door Company has provided the lovely Fairy Door for this Giveaway.
“I’m enough of an artist to draw freely on my imagination, which I think is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
I have looked at imagination at work in life and it never ceases to amaze me. When I see my children share the knowledge they have learned I encourage and applaud with pride but when I see their imagination shine through I really stand back in awe… it is theirs, it is unique and it is truly amazing!
So yes, I do believe imagination is more important than knowledge, but I also think that if you combine both you are really tapping into life’s power. What does science have to say about it?
What is imagination?
Imagination is creativity in action. It can be using our brain and our senses to create an image within our mind.
Imagination draws on our experiences and knowledge of the world around us and combines them with the complete unknown to make something new.
It allows us to explore beyond the constraints of our environment and our reality, into a world of dreams, where creativity and invention are at their strongest.
Science has long held that the complex nature of imagination must involve more than one area of the brain. The idea and the proof have been hard to amalgamate but recent studies using advancements in the monitoring of complex neural interactions within the brain provide new evidence for this theory. The findings from this study suggest that imagination uses a large portion of the human brain, creating an interconnecting network of activity across many different areas.
Imagination really does light up our brains!
Is imagination unique to humans?
It would appear that imagination (at least in its complete form) is a uniquely human experience. It has allowed us to modify and develop our surroundings and to create and invent new ideas, new structures, new technologies. Imagination also allows us the very human emotion of empathy as we can literally imagine another person’s life experience without ever having actually experienced any of it.
In the words of JK Rowling…
“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and, therefore, the foundation of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.”
The evolution of imagination
Our early ancestors, the hominids showed basic levels of imagination in their tool making abilities, cooperative hunting skills and social interaction and colonization. It would appear that their level of imagination was limited though, perhaps with respect to their brain size and their compartmentalized thinking.
As modern humans evolved scientists have reported an increase in brain size, advances in technical skills and creativity and a development in social complexities. Farming, sophisticated tool making, complex language development, the performance of rituals and the development of art and crafting all required a complex development of thought and mental interaction…Imagination!
A more developed neural network within the brain, connecting the different areas of brain function, must have had some part to play in all this. The majority of these changes evolved between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago, to the eventual emergence of the modern human.
The importance of imagination in our development and learning
As a parent this is the part that I am most interested in. What part does imagination play in my children’s development?
Science has shown that imagination stimulates brain function and activity. It literally expands the mind as it encourages connections between so many areas within the brain.
Both neurologists and psychologists agree that play in early childhood is necessary for children to develop at a normal rate and to reach their full potential.
Imagination and play have been shown to increase brain development and growth in children. At a neurological level imagination can increase the number of neural connections within the brain, linking different regions. These links need repeated stimulation and activation to be maintained.
Imagination is an activity that used the whole brain rather than isolated, individual sections.
Use of the whole brain in this way increases a child’s problem solving abilities, emotional development and social interactions.
Early childhood (between the ages of three and six) is usually when children are most actively involved in their imagination. Through pretend play children create their own imaginary world, allowing them to develop and learn from the new experiences they explore.
When children start school there is often a shift in how they play, moving towards games with more social interaction and rules. These games still engage the children in creative play, often with a more cognitive imaginative thought process.
Imagination is a vital learning tool within the classroom. Children will learn and remember more powerfully when imagination is included. Imagination will create more neural links within the brain, engage more regions within the mind and it will bring the subject to life!
This holds true for all subjects not just the ones we consider more creative. I have always loved maths, for example, and I remember from a young age that each number took on a personality for me. This probably increased my enjoyment of the subject and certainly would have increased my memory and ability.
As children grow it is important therefore that their imagination is constantly stimulated and encouraged. As they enter their teenage years imagination will allow better social interaction and social awareness as it encourages a better sensitivity to the needs and feelings of those around us.
Imagination can also decrease stress levels as it encourages problem solving and the possibility of positive outcomes and solutions.
A powerful imagination is a wonderful skill to have and a very important one to nurture throughout all stages of life. To really reach our full potential I believe imagination and play should be as important in our daily lives as love, nutrition and health.
How can we encourage imagination within our children?
We all have imagination within us, that is what makes us human. We do not need to instil it within our children but perhaps we can encourage and assist what is already there. Starting from a young age we can encourage pretend play, imaginative fantasies and the belief in some things unknown.
An imaginary friend can be encouraged rather than feared. Dress up clothes are a great facility for a child’s imagination. There are many simple toys that can assist a child in a wonderful make believe world. It is also a wonderful reinforcement for children to see their parents actively involved in the imaginary worlds that they create.
The other night I was lying with my youngest son at bed time, chatting about whatever came into his head at any random moment.
“Mammy, I’m going to big school now, its time for you to have another baby!”
Ouch!
“Really?”
“Yes, in fact I want two more babies!”
No pressure then!
The fingers came out and he started to count…
“Yes, I want two more babies, then there will be five children!”
“Five children and two adults so we would be a family of…”
A bit more counting…
“Seven! We would be a family of seven. that’s what I want!”
I was impressed with his mathematical abilities… but less so with his sibling generating demands!
My baby
To be honest the conversation made me a little sad. In theory I would love to oblige him but in reality I know my baby making days are over. I know that stage of my life has passed, but, in an act of sheer denial, I am clinging to my four year old “baby” with everything I have got. He, in response, is defiantly growing up before my eyes.
He sees what his older siblings are doing and he rushes to match them. I look on with pride and admiration and while I delight in all his achievements I am painfully aware that we are saying goodbye to another stage of life with children. The pride is mixed with a pang of longing for what will be no more. I am afraid to look back, to dwell on any of those baby moments because I think I will feel the loss too greatly.
When I read this wonderful post on The Busy Mama blog I knew it was time to end my blatant denial and face the truth. I nodded in recognition to all the points that Helen made as she recounted her tales of parenting moments gone by. I felt like many of those words could be mine. As the blog post was an invitation to all to participate and share too, I knew that by joining in the linky I would be forced to look back and acknowledge that my baby days are over – a therapeutic way to overcome the denial within.
I have been blessed with three wonderful children. Each one a unique character, each so different but so complimentary to the other. There are so many little things that I miss but here is just one that is so obvious to me at the moment…. my two older children are correcting their brother in his misuse and mispronunciation of certain words. They do it kindly and I know that he must learn but I wait quietly in the background, wanting to tell them to stop. I love all these little errors, I find them so cute and unique and I want them to last forever. But I know they can’t.
So this is what I will miss…
… misappear (for disappear)… a lot of things “misappear” with the little mischief maker around!
incept (for except)… he loves using this word… and I love hearing it!
turch (for church)… I smiled when his brother corrected him on this and he said “some people just say things differently”!!
meleeeze (for please)… it is very hard to say no to a meleeze, especially when there is a pair of big blue eyes and a cheeky grin behind it!
“if magine if” (for “imagine if”)… he says this a lot!
Dee-dee (for Culann) … this was his first word, his name for his older brother; I am not surprised he spoke his name first, it was a beautiful reward for such a loving, devoted brother, who fell in love with him the moment he first set eyes on him; this name lasted years, but is long gone now; it will always stay in the momory of his loving and devoted brother though!
“instructable” (for indestructible)… which is what most things need to be to withstand the “enthusiasm” of the young boy who uses it!
“I love you mammy!”…. no corrections to make there, I just hope he always says it!
Click here to check out all the posts in the linky
I think I am ready now to read all the other posts in the linky, with a box of tissues beside me of course. I am beginning to realise that it is okay to remember but it is also wonderful to celebrate how much my baby has achieved, how well he is growing and how mush delight he gets as he reaches each new goal. I will accept that life with him in my future will be as wonderful as it has been with him in my past, and deep down, in some small way, he will always be my baby!
