six science snippets - autumn 2013

7/29/2019 Six Science Snippets - Autumn 2013

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www.curiositots.co.uk / [email protected] 1


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1 www.curiositots.co.uk / [email protected]

WelcomeHi! Im Soozy - science teacher, mum of

two, and founder of CuriosiTots.

The aim of this booklet is to provide a

few ideas of activities to try with yourchildren during the autumn, and so are

concerned with autumnal themes such

as wind and fallen leaves. It will also

give you some ways to start them thinking scientifically about

what is happening.

Even someone with a good background in science can beflummoxed when trying to explain things to a young child,

since they are still lacking so much of the background

knowledge that we depend on. I hope that the questions I

have included with each activity will guide you to help your

child make observations and try to form conclusions about

what is happening. For the less scientifically literate parents,

I have also included a brief explanation of the science behindeach experiment.

The activities and associated questions are aimed at

ages 3-4 but can be enjoyed by older and younger

children too.

If you enjoy this booklet, why not think about joining a week-

ly CuriosiTots class. For further information you can look onthe website below, or email [email protected] to enquire

about a free taster session.


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ContentsPage 3 Collect some leaves

Page 4

Apple bobbing (and other things)

Page 5 Investigate how seeds are dispersed

Page 6 Milk fireworks

Page 7 Make a windmill

Page 9 Make some Gloop

Page 10 What is CuriosiTots?


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Collect some leaves1

You will need Pieces of paper

Some heavy books

The scienceThe purpose of leaves is to carry out photosynthesis and provide ener-

gy for the tree. In the winter months the sunlight is less strong, and itis harder for the tree to get enough water from the cold ground.

The plant recycles the chlorophyll (the green pigment that is needed

for photosynthesis) and fills its leaves with waste products. These pro-

duce the red and brown hues. When the leaves rot the nutrients in

them are returned to the soil.

What to doGo on a nature walk and collect some fallen leaves. Look for different

colours and different shapes and sizes. Flatten and dry the leaves be-

tween sheets of paper under a couple of heavy books. Sort the leaves

by colour, size or type of leaf.

What to askWhat different colours can you see? What different shapes?

How would you describe the leaf to someone who couldnt see it?

Why do you think the trees lose their leaves?

Also point out the veins on the leaf and compare them to our blood

vessels.


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2Apple Bobbing

(and other things)

You will need Washing up bowl full of water

A variety of things to try and float:apples, lemons (try with and without peel), stones, coins,lego, tins, glass jars, plastic punnets...

The scienceWhether something floats on another substance depends on their rela-

tive densities. Density is mass-per-unit-volume. In other words if you

took 1cm3 of lead and 1cm3 of aluminium then the lead would weigh

more as it is more dense.

A steel boat floats on water despite the fact that steel is more dense

than water. This is because most of the interior of the boat is full of

air, so the average density of the shape in the water is low

What to doPredict whether each object will sink or float, and then test it.

See if your child can come up with a way to record their results so they

can remember which sank and which floated.

What to askDoes it make a difference how you put things in?

Try pushing things that float under the water. Do they all float back to

the surface?

Why do you think that will float/sink?

Do the things that float have anything in common?

Did any of them surprise you? Why?


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Investigate how

seeds are dispersed3

You will need Thin card

Paper clip

Scissors

The sciencePlants want their seeds to germinate as far away as possible so they

dont have to compete with their offspring for water and nutrients. Syc-

amore seeds are dispersed by the wind so need to stay in the air as

long as possible. Another method is being eaten by animals or birds so

that the seed is deposited in a nice pile of poo some time later. Seeds

can also be dispersed by water, or attaching to animals coats. Look at

some other seeds and guess how they get away from their parent.

What to doCut along the thick lines and fold

along the dotted lines to give the

shape shown in the third diagram.

Drop from approx. 2m.

What to askWhat do you think will happen if we add extra paperclips?

How is this like the sycamore seed? How is it different?

Examples of seeds eg sycamore heli-copters, conkers, apples, nuts, sun-flower seeds, poppy shakers

Optional: fan, stopwatch

Use a stopwatch to time how long to hit the ground and compare with a

plain piece of card. Try with additional paperclips or blowing with a fan.


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4Milk fireworks

You will need Full fat milk

Large shallow dish

Food colourings

The scienceMilk is a suspension of fat and proteins in water. The washing up liquidis a strange moleculeone end of it likes water and the other end is

attracted to fat. This disrupts the bonds holding the fat and protein

suspended in the water, and causes all the molecules to move around

to find the best new arrangement. The food colouring molecules are

pushed around during this process.

What to doPour the milk into the dish add 3 or 4 small drops of food colouring.

Dip a cotton bud in washing up liquid and gently touch it to one of the

food colouring drops. You should see the colour exploding away from

where you touched.

What to askWhat do you think will happen?

What did you see?

How many times can we do it before we need new milk?

Washing up liquid

Cotton buds


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Make a windmill5

You will need 10cm square piece of paper

Two drinking straws (at leastone bendy one)

thin round piece of wood(cocktail stick or end of a

wooden skewer)

What to doFold the paper diagonally both ways to

make a cross. Use a 10p coin to draw a

circle in the middle.

Cut along the diagonal lines stopping at

the circle. Punch a hole in alternate cor-

ners and in the centre as shown in the dia-

gram.

If you want to colour it in then at this point

colour the other side.

Fold one corner so the hole lines up with

the centre hole, and stick down the corner

with a small bit of tape (dont cover the

hole!) Repeat with all 4 corners.

Put your thin round bit of wood through

the hole and fasten it to the front of the

windmill with a piece of blu tack.

Sellotape

Blu tack or plasticine

Hole punch

scissors


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The scienceThis windmill shows that the movement of air can be harnessed, and if

the wooden shaft were connected to something then that energy could

be used to do work. In traditional windmills, a series of gears meant

the turning of the sails directly turned a millstone to grind wheat. In

modern wind turbines, the shaft turns electromagnets inside coiled

wires. The magnetic field passing through the wires induces an electric

current within the wire and so the kinetic (movement) energy is trans-

formed into electrical energy.

What to askWhat happens if you blow gently / harder?

What is the best angle to blow it at?Why do you think it stops spinning again?

You could also experiment with bigger / smaller windmills, or using

card or newspaper instead of normal paper. How does it affect how

easy it is to make the windmill turn?

Look at some pictures (or go and visit) some real windmills or wind

turbines. How are they different from your windmill? How are they

similar?

Why is the wind a good source of energy? What problems are there

with using the wind to do things?

Cut a straight bit of straw approx. 1cm

shorter than the wood. Thread it over the

wood and put some more blu tack on the

back of the wood to stop it falling off.

Take the bendy straw and bend the top

over. Sellotape the cut piece of straw to

the top of the bendy straw so that it sticks

out as shown in the diagram.


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6 Make some Gloop

You will need Large bowl / deep tray

Cornflour

Water

The scienceGloop is a suspension of large cornflour particles in water. When

you stir it slowly, the particles can move around each other. But

when you try to move it quickly, the water particles move out of the

way and the cornflour particles bunch up together into a solid like

snow pilling up in front of a snowplough. When left, the water mole-

cules diffuse back in, turning it back into a fluid. It is known as a

shear-thickening fluid, or alternatively as a non-Newtonian liquid as

it doesnt follow the laws for liquids laid down by Newton.

Scientists are still working on devising equations to describe these

complex fluids.

What to doFill a cup with cornflour and add it to the bowl. Slowly add water,

mixing continually (with your hands is easiest if a bit messy!) until

you get a smooth goo.

Play with the goo. Try moving a stick or finger through it fast, and

then again slowly.

What to askCan you roll it into a ball?

Can you make it drip?


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www.curiositots.co.uk / [email protected]

What is CuriosiTots?

CuriosiTots is a weekly class which will engage your childs inquisitive

nature. Original stories, role-play and simple experiments are combined to

introduce preschool children to the fundamentals of science. We develop

basic skills such as questioning, observation, numeracy, finding patterns

and making comparisons. The activities are designed to also develop

listening and communication skills, confidence, and social skills such astaking turns.

Who is CuriosiTots for?

Most children will be ready to join a class between the age of 2 and 3. If

your child can sit and listen to a story for 5 minutes and can follow simple

instructions then they can enjoy and learn from CuriosiTots. If they are

constantly asking "WHY?" thenyouwill benefit too!

Isn't age 2 a bit young to be learning science?

CuriosiTots isn't about learning facts and figures. It's about equipping

children with skills that will help them make sense of the world. Babies

start to categorise things and gain an understanding of cause and effect

before they are 1. Between 1 and 2 they learn that making different

choices can affect the outcome, and start to experiment with those

choices to find underlying principles. They can be helped to find theserules about how the world works through structured activities and by

teaching vocabulary to help them express what they discover.

Where can I find out more?

Look on our website, or email us to book a free taster session.


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July 2013

six science snippets - autumn 2013

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