The science lab is currently featured on the BECON TV show Broward School Beat broadcast often until mid-April on Channel 19 cable and Channel 63 DirectTV/Dish/U-verse.  Several classes were filmed doing experiments and making movies back in December.  The schedule is available at becon.tv.

Welcome kindergartners and first graders to Science Lab special!

Kindergartners are exploring the effects of force using marble racetracks and roller coasters.  Practice building your roller coaster here: Roller Coaster Design

First graders are investigating sound waves and how they travel through air.

Second graders are the tree detectives – reading a trees history from a “tree cookie” and learning about leaf structure and function (photosynthesis and transpiration).  Try out these TREE activities at home: Tree Games

Third graders are continuing their speed investigation using gravity and friction with Hot Wheels raceways and radar detectors.

Fourth graders are wrapping up their sunscreen experiments and bringing home ultraviolet light detecting cards and beads to use in at-home experimentation.  Learn how to be a Sunwise Kid!

Next, fourth graders will be modeling seed adaptations and trying to create a seed that can travel by wind.  Watch a video about the “Seedy Side of Plants”

or watch The Private Life of Plants here:

Fifth graders did a superb job preparing for their science FCAT and are now studying racetrack physics using wind-up Darda cars, raceways and loops.

Fourth graders are taking the “Journey of Wayne Drop” in preparation for their trip to the Everglades. We are investigating the “Mystery of the Swamp” and how wetlands can help clean water. The entire “Journey” is online at http://www.evergladesplan.org/education/index.aspx

Second and third graders are designing their own recycling factory – using tools like magnets and static electricity to sort recyclable trash (don’t worry it’s clean garbage!) in a contest in efficient teamwork. Check out the Keep America Beautiful site and watch videos and play a game at www.kabman.org.

All grades will soon be turning trash into treasure as we recycle and reduce the cafeteria salad containers (recycle code #6) into zipper pulls that will remind us how we can reduce our ecological footprint. Check out Bobby Bigfoot online to get some great ideas at www.kidsfootprint.org.

• Think about a pendulum and try some online experiments here: http://pbskids.org/zoom/games/pendulum/
• More Galileo experiments and a quiz here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/expe_flash_1.html
• Go to this website and you can play a game dropping objects and see that in a vacuum (like in space, no air to push objects) even a feather falls the same as a heavy ball: http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/watch/skydiving/galileo_pisa.htm
• Also go here and see the video of the astronauts of Apollo 15 try this experiment on the moon. Did it work like the experiment in a vacuum? http://www1.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/feather.html

Think about it:

• What do these experiments have to do with rollercoasters?
• Where have you seen some pendulums (hint: sometimes called a “swinger”) at work?

Send me a comment and let me know what you think!