Celebrate Chemistry...Baking Soda Volcano

The Science Mommy has been invited by Dow Chemical to Celebrate Chemistry this summer!

Here's what's happening...The Science Mommy hosted a Chemistry Party and will post the investigations over the next three weeks.  Each week you'll have a chance to win - click on the picture in the sidebar or read on for more details!

Baking Soda Volcanoes
& 
Baking Soda Rockets 

Ages:  All ages of Kid Scientist will have fun with Baking Soda Volcanoes

Materials:  Styrofoam cups, small paper/plastic cups, film canister, baking soda, vinegar, dishwashing soap, food coloring

This gets messy, so it's a good one for outside!

Procedure:

  1)  Each Kid Scientist will need a large styrofoam cup.  This part of the model represents the volcano.  The Science Mommy cut a hole in the bottom of the cup to accommodate the film canister but Big Kids could do this themselves.  Push the film canister into the hole in the bottom of the cup.  The film canister represents a magma chamber in the volcano.

2)  Put a teaspoon of baking soda into the film canister.

3) Each Kid Scientist also needs a small cup.  We passed the materials for the "Lava Solution" around the circle and kids added them to their cups...1 ounce vinegar, 1 teaspoon dishsoap, red & yellow food color

4) Once everyone had their "Lava Solution" ready, we poured it into the the film canister...

...and watched the foamy, bubbly volcano reaction!

Since we were outside, and had all the materials at hand, the Science Kids at the party decided to explore Baking Soda Rockets...

Ages:  This is best for the Bigger Kid Scientists

Materials:  Fuji film canisters (the clear/white ones), baking soda, vinegar

Procedure:

* I modeled making a rocket for the Kid Scientists.  This is an excellent investigation for Kids because the materials are simple and they can launch the rockets over and over.  It takes some thoughtful experimentation to determine the best ratio of baking soda to vinegar and some practice with rocket launch.

1) Put baking soda into the lid of the film canister and vinegar into the canister itself

2) Attach the lid to the canister and smoothly place it upside down on the launch pad

3) Step back and watch the rocket

4)  Think about what happened in your launch and try it again

Safety Considerations:  * Only one person launching a rocket at a time * Make sure you step away from the launch, especially don't hold your head over the rocket * Once you have vinegar & baking soda all over your hands - don't touch your eyes or face

A satisfying rocket launch is pretty exciting for all Kid Scientists!

You can watch this video to learn more about Baking Soda Volcanos

To Enter the Give-Away: You must be a follower of The Science Mommy and enter a comment on a Celebrate Chemistry post.  There will be three posts, and you can enter with each post.

Additional entries:  Send the Science Mommy a picture or link to your Science Mommy project and you will receive an additional entry.

Science Adventures...

Wolf Lodge Bay on Coeur d'Alene lake is a wintering location for migrating bald eagles. The Science Mommy recently took her Kid Scientists on a science adventure...

It was around 5 degrees the afternoon we headed out to Higgin's Point to see the Eagles.  We all bundled up and stayed as long as we could!

 

Aiden enjoyed spotting the eagles with his binoculars so that he could see them up close.

Higgin's Point is a good spot for bird watching in the summer too, so there are mounted telescopes and interpretive signs.  

Their information about eagles is interesting and easy to read, for most Kid Scientists.

We caught this eagle fishing...thought the light was fading, we could see the fish caught in talons as the bird flew off.

The eagles are magnificent and it was well worth the trip to watch them.

Snow Paint...

This snowy day project could not be easier or have more hours of fun attached...

Ages:  All ages of Kid Scientist will enjoy snow pain

Materials:  Spray bottles, food color and water

Procedure:
Fill spray bottles with cold water

Add food coloring to create the color of your choice.  Here's the science...what colors can you create?

My Kid Scientists were ready to play, so they stuck to blue and red.  Attach the top of the bottle and you're ready to go...

Create all sorts of fun spray paint pictures in the snow...try mixing colors and using different intensities on the nozzle for different effects.

The Science Mommy would love to see pictures of your snow paintings...send them via email and I will post them!  Have fun in the snow!

Snowflake Collection...

The Science Mommy loves winter, snow and playing outside.  The next several posts will be all about outdoor science in the winter!

Ages: This is great for all ages of Kid Scientist.  If you have a curious Big Kid scientist, read ahead for the extension.

Materials:  black construction paper, snow, magnifying lens (if you have one)

Procedure:    This activity works well when it's snowing softly...but creative Kid Scientists will be able to collect snowflakes any time
Collect Them:

• Use your black paper to collect falling snowflakes
• If there are too many snowflakes to see clearly, try blowing gently to spread them out
• You can also sprinkle snow onto your black paper if it's not currently snowing

Explore Them:

Once you have your snowflakes, spend some time examining them...

• How would you describe the shape of the snowflakes?
• How many different snow flakes do you see?
• What size are your snowflakes?  Are they all the same size?
• What else do you notice?
• What are you wondering about snowflakes?

Parents and curious Kid Scientists can explore this great snowflake website to learn more about how snowflakes form.  There are also some amazing pictures like this one...

For Big Kid Scientists:  Based on the website linked above, the Science Mommy wrote an article about snowflakes for Big Kid Scientists.  I would share this with my Kid Scientists after the collected snowflakes and spent some time examining their collection.  You can get this article about snowflakes by clicking on the link.

Nature Walks...

A reader recently asked about journals for Nature Walks.  I put together this Nature Journal for her girls to use on their walks.

Ages: Kids should be able to write or draw their observations without frustration.  Otherwise, just enjoy your walk without journaling.

Materials: Consider binoculars, hand lenses or cameras.  All these tools help Kid Scientists focus their observations on something specific and will give them more to write or draw.

Procedure:  Nature Walks can be as simple as a walk through your neighborhood or as involved as a day trip to a new location.  Having a specific focus for Kid Scientists will enhance what they are observing on their walk.

• Look for as many different trees as you can find.  Gather fallen leaves as evidence of their difference or make rubbings of different types of bark.
• Look for as many different wild flowers as you can find.  This is a good one for digital cameras so that walkers who come along after you can also enjoy the flowers.
• How many different animal signs can you find?  This would include nests, feathers, tracks, scat etc.
• How many different noises do you hear?  Can you tell which ones are natural and which ones are man-made?
• What can you see that is living?  What is not living? Why are both important?
• Check out this post for more nature walk ideas

Make sure you have a sense of what they will see and hear before you set their specific focus.

The Nature Journal can be printed out, folded and turned into a book that Kid Scientists add to over several different excursions.  I like using the Notice / Wonder format because it encourages your Kid Scientist to discover what they think is important and to think about what they are seeing or hearing.  The Wonders  can also lead to future nature walks or research at home. 

How do your Kid Scientists explore Nature?

Exploring Tide Pools...

One of the best ways to make science real for all Kid Scientists, is to find it wherever you are.  You don't have to be able to identify all the organisms you see, just encourage the curiosity of your Kid Scientist as he explores.  Ask him questions about what he is looking at and get in there for a look also.

The boys spent about an hour looking at the tide pools.  I made sure to set a couple of guidelines for keeping the animals they saw safe...

• Don't chase animals around the pool
• Nudge shells gently...if something is living inside (it's firmly attached) leave it alone
• If you pick anything up, ask for help to make sure you handle it gently
• Watch where you're walking so that you don't step on any animals or slip and fall

Kyle and Connar saw a huge crab scurrying around on the side of the rocks.  We admired it's camouflage, in fact I wasn't even able to get a good photo.

 Aiden found several Hermit Crabs and giggled as they ran over his hands.  We were very careful to hold them close to the water we found them in and not to drop them.

Since we were in Maui, we spent lots of time looking at the volcanic rock and speculating about how the lava flows would have looked.

What science have you found...on vacation or in your own backyard?

Neighborhood Nature Walk…

This is a repost of some fun ways to interest your Kid Scientists in observing the world around them...


Can you see the nest in the tree?  Tucked into the fork of a branch right in the middle? I couldn’t see baby birds, but as I stood under the tree, I could hear them chirping.  There is a great diversity of living things right in our neighborhoods for Kid Scientists to discover.  Here are some ways to encourage Kid Scientist observations…
Digital Nature Walk – Hand your camera to your Kid Scientist during your walk.  Challenge her to look for evidence of animals as well as the animals themselves.  She might find a train of ants, a nest, tracks in the mud or lady bugs in the garden.  Your Kid Scientist can collect her observations with pictures.  If she’s really adventurous, she could create a Field Guide for your neighborhood.
Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt – For those Kid Scientists who need help slowing down and observing write a Scavenger hunt list on an index card to take on your walk (if your Kid Scientist can’t read you can read the list to him or enlist an older sibling to be his partner).  Include things you know he’ll find easily as well as a couple real challenges…a robin, a wild flower, a spider web, a nest, animals tracks, ducks…
ABC Nature Walk – As you’re walking find things that begin with each letter in the alphabet…ants, bumble bee, columbine, daisy…this is way for your Kid Scientist to learn more specific names for things as well.  If following the alphabet is too much of a challenge, you can turn it into ABC / I Spy, “I see something that starts with L”  “Lady bug”
Nature Walk 1 2 3 – As you walk, ask your Kid Scientist to count what they’re seeing.  “How many birds will you see before we get to the corner?”  “How many daisies are on this plant?”  “How many dragonflies do you see?”
Amazing Things – Tell your Kid Scientists that at the end of your walk everyone will get to share an Amazing Thing they saw while walking home.  Giving your Kid Scientist a chance to walk with wonder, looking at everything, encourages creativity and close observation.  Once you’re home, it’s interesting to hear what they thought was amazing.
Sounds of Nature – Have your Kid Scientists sit or lay down with their eyes closed for one minute – just listening.  At the end of the minute, ask them to share what they heard.  If bird sounds are clear, ask Kid Scientists if they can figure out how many birds are making the sounds.

The Science Mommy would love to hear about your Neighborhood Nature Walk