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Archive for the ‘Science Projects’ Category

by Magriet Du Plessis

Crafts will always be a very important teaching tool for anyone teaching little kids. Kids learn best by “doing.” Homeschoolers and especially Unschoolers can use this balloon craft as part of a biology lesson. This is a wonderful kids’ craft idea, that is fun and easy to do and also a great first lesson about plants. This craft use balloons so watch the little ones, while you are doing this craft, to prevent suffocation!

All you need for this kids’ craft idea is a medium or large sized, clear balloon, a little earth and water, some seeds, a small funnel and a piece of string. Radish seeds work well, but you could use almost any seeds that are easy to grow.

Kid’s Craft Ideas Step by Step – How to make your first balloon garden

1. Don’t blow your balloon up yet! Put the mouth of the balloon over the funnel and hold it firmly in place (this is where an extra pair of adult hands comes in useful!) Tip in around a ½ cup of earth – enough to almost fill the deflated balloon.

2. Now gradually add water, via the funnel again, until the earth is wet through. Don’t put too much water in or it will all just turn to mud and start overflowing!

3. Dry your funnel, then add your final ingredients, the seeds, into the balloon, still holding it firmly in its upside down position.

4. Still holding the balloon upside down, so that you don’t get a mouthful of dirt, carefully blow it up.

5. Tightly make a knot in the top of the balloon, then tie your string around it and use the string to hook the balloon garden up near a window or other well-lit place.

Making balloon gardens is a fun thing to do at birthday parties, and will keep the kids occupied and happy for ages – as long as you don’t mind the mess! On a summer’s day, it’s best done in the backyard.

Balloon gardens also make lovely gifts, the children can make them for an adult friend or relative and the recipient will be delighted – especially when they hang the balloon garden up and it grows green and lush.

Grandmothers and grandfathers especially love this kid’s craft idea – either to do with the kids (especially a granddad who is a gardening enthusiast) or just to receive a balloon garden craft as a gift. They will love that the kids will want to keep coming back to visit them and seeing how their balloon garden is growing.

When the balloon garden slowly dies off, it is a good opportunity to explain to your kids about the cycle of life, and to help them make a new balloon garden! Use this opportunity to teach them a variety of facts about nature, not only the cycle of life. Plants need water, fresh air, good soil etc. to grow. You can also work a lesson about seasons into this craft.

Enjoy your “Balloon Craft.”

Magriet is a work at home “Gran” with websites on family related matters. Visit her insightful site about homeschooling at http://www.homeschooling.topknacks.com

She also have a site on Kids Crafts that is very related to homeschooling at http://www.kidscrafts.topknacks.com

You can also visit her fun website with easy science projects ideal for the homeschooler at http://www.learnerscience.com

Many of the kids crafts can be used for science lessons and many of the easy science fair projects will actually make fun kids crafts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Magriet_Du_Plessis

by Mort Barish

Will environmentally friendly anti-freeze work as well in your car as commercial products?

Most automobile engines require water to control their temperatures from getting too hot as they run. Way back when, this was difficult because a car’s engine runs at a temperature that is greater than the boiling point of water. So if water was put into a hot engine it simply boiled off and had to be replenished with constant stops to re-supply. The invention of the radiator partially cured this problem as the water was kept under pressure which raised its boiling point and kept it from boiling away. But cars continued to have difficulties with over heating even with the radiator.

Autos also had problems when it becomes very cold out. Instead of boiling away, the water froze inside the engine. When water freezes it expands and takes up more space. Years ago, cars had freeze plugs put into them that popped out when the water froze to protect the engine from cracking under the pressure of expansion.

Modern antifreeze additives solved the problems of overheating and freezing. There are many additives that will alter the boiling and freezing point of water, simple table salt will affect these points. Antifreeze solutions have a greater affect on the boiling and freezing point but they come at a price. Most modern antifreezes are not environmentally safe and must be disposed of as a hazardous waste. In recent years a number of environmentally friendly antifreeze products have come on the market.

This investigation will compare their effectiveness compared to traditional antifreeze products. To do this science experiment, you will need some non-diluted environmentally friendly anti-freeze. You will also need some commercial non-diluted anti-freeze. In addition you will require a thermometer, an outdoor stove or burner, and a freezer with temperature controls.

Start your experiment by taking 500ml of pure water. Put it on the stove and bring to boil. Record this temperature, it will be your boiling control group. Be sure to do this outside as antifreeze will produce unwanted odor in house.

Now put in 5ml of traditional antifreeze into 500ml of water (recheck water level each time as some will boil off). Boil this solution and record temperature. Repeat this step using environmentally friendly antifreeze.

Next repeat previous steps using 10ml of antifreeze in 500ml and record your boiling points. Continue this process through 25ml of antifreeze concentrations.

When you have collected your boiling point data repeat the process varying the concentrations of antifreeze but now freeze them instead of boiling them. Start with pure water. Set your freezer to 310 and put thermometer in water. Check periodically, record temperature when ice first starts to form, do not let water freeze completely. Then put in your 5ml concentrations and put back in freezer. If solutions do not freeze set your freezer at a colder temperature and record temperature when ice first appears. Continue this process through your 25ml solutions.

This is a cool science fair experiment for those interested in cars, the environment or both. For more cool science fair projects, visit http://www.terimore.com

Mort Barish is co-founder of Terimore Institute, Inc. Terimore Institute provides science fair projects for children in grades K-12 to help them successfully compete in science fairs. He has been creating educational materials for children and related graphic communications for almost fifty years. He is the author of seven books and has won numerous awards for his graphic presentations. He was the President and Founder of an award winning Marketing Communications firm for 27 years.

Mort Barish is co-founder of Terimore Institute, Inc. Terimore Institute provides science fair projects for children in grades K-12 to help them successfully compete in science fairs. He has been creating educational materials for children and related graphic communications for almost fifty years. He is the author of seven books and has won numerous awards for his graphic presentations. He was the President and Founder of an award winning Marketing Communications firm for 27 years.