SCIENCE PROJECTS:

Learning About the Light Spectrum-

You will need:
a small mirror, a piece of white paper, a small bowl, water, and direct sunlight (through a window is OK as long as it is bright).

Fill the bowl about 2/3 full of water.  Put it directly in the sunlight.  Hold the mirror under the water facing the sun.  Hold the paper so the light reflects from the mirror and hits the paper.  Watch the color spectrum appear on the paper.

Do research on prisms and how they split the light into colors of the spectrum. 

How Roots Help Nourish a Plant-

You will need:
celery stalk with leaves attached, water, tall cup, red food coloring and a knife

Stir 5 or 6 drops of food coloring into 1/2 cup water.  Trim about 1 inch off from the bottom of the celery stalk.  Place stalk in the cup of water.  Observe the experiment over several days.  Explain how the root system draws the water through the plant all the way to the leaves.

The Greenhouse Effect-

You will need:
a clear glass jar with a cover, two thermometers

Lay the jar on its side near a window that gets direct sunlight.  Place one thermometer in the jar and close with the lid.  Place the other thermometer next to the jar.    Read the temperatures on the thermometers ever 15 minutes for the next hour and make a chart with your findings.  The temperature should rise faster in the jar since the heat is trapped.  This equates to the trapping of heat in the atmosphere by carbon dioxide.

Learning About Seeds-

You will need:
two dried lima beans, toothpick, handheld magnifying glass

Soak one lima bean in warm water overnight so it softens.  Look at the dried lima bean and explain how the hardened shell helps protect the inside.  Then using the toothpick, carefully pull apart the halves of the softened lima bean.  Examine the inside.  You should be able to find the leaves and root.  The soft area inside is called the cotyledons;  explain how that area helps nourish the plant.

Studying Pollution-

You will need:
half of an egg carton or six small dixie cups, food coloring, dropper, water

Place about ten drops of water in each cup or space on the egg carton.  Drop 1 dropper of food coloring into the first cup.  Watch the way the water turns red, and equate that to how pollution moves into a water source.  Wash out the dropper.  Then use the dropper to put one drop of the colored water into the next cup.  Watch the way the water still spreads through the water.  Again, wash out the dropper.  Continue to use a drop from the last cup to add "pollution" to the next cup.  Can you still see the red in the sixth cup?   Explain how the pollution dissipates as it is diluted.

Learning About Suspensions-

You will need:
1 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup water, bowl, spoon, food coloring (optional)

Put cornstarch in the bowl.  Slowly mix in the water until the mixture is about as thick as pancake batter (you might not use all of the water).  If you would like, add 2 - 3 drops of food coloring and mix it in.  Notice the way the suspension acts like a liquid and a solid.  Discuss the similarities and differences in those states of matter and the suspension.

Making Rain Clouds-

You will need:
2 small clear jars, 2 rubber bands, two small pieces of aluminum foil (large enough to cover the jar opening), hot water, cold water, 2 ice cubes

Fill one jar about half way with hot water.  Fill the other jar about half way with cold water.  Cover each with foil and secure in place with a rubber band.   Put an ice cube on the top of each jar.  After about five minutes you will see a fog form in one of the jars.  After that happens, remove the ice cubes and rubber bands.  Remove the foil very carefully and look at the underside of each.  Which jar formed rain clouds?