In these Science Snippets, I provide write-ups and a few short videos on activities that are effective, easy to do and that won't take too much time to prepare.
Education, in essence, is the sharing of our experience and knowledge.
It brings me great pleasure!
Science Demos that Teach:
No3 Does Newton's First Law hold true in the real world?
Newton’s first law is often thought of as basic and obvious. But is it really so? In this discussion I use two toys, a ramp walker and gravity walker to explore. The walking camel toy I have had since my Year 1 year (so it is rated as antique!) and still find it an engaging demo!
Science Demos that Teach:
No2 Gravity Rules
In this simple, effective demonstration, we use a long string of beads and a beaker to prove gravity is always “on” and show inertia and momentum in a spectacular way. Easy to prepare, you can do this demo in your class, tomorrow.
Science Demos that Teach:
No1 Air Pressure - The Bin Liner
The phenomenon of air pressure is hard to visualise. We use a vacuum cleaner to remove around 10% of air from a bin liner bag. The result is a bag that is firmly squashed and stretched around the body due to external air pressure.
Measure the average speed of a moving object with your phone
The quick measurement of the average speed of a projectile or object can be very useful, especially in engineering when analysing the impact of design changes. Do you require special equipment? No! You have it in your hands – your mobile phone, packed with useful sensors.
Chemistry activities with Toys in Middle School level
Our 7 Science Box toys are perfect for primary school level, but how about Middle and High School lproevels? Be ready to be amazed at what you can teach with simple toys . . .
Light: Photoluminescence (phosphorescence & fluorescence)
Photoluminescence is the production of light without any heat, using high energy photons. As photons are light particles, this means we can produce light by stimulating a compound with light particles!
Light: Persistence of Vision
There are numerous oscillating objects, electromagnetic waves and flickering lights out there that cannot be observed by human sight. Our sense of sight is just not able to perceive and detect these fast changing images. In this snippet I will show you an easy way to expose this “secret world” to your students using a solar panel and speaker.
Build a Hovercraft
A hovercraft adds exciting options to your physics classroom and is lots of fun to ride on too. It provides fun frictionless motion so students can get a better grasp of the practical implications of Newton’s Laws.
The Cartesian Diver Lab
The Cartesian Diver is an age-old toy that demonstrates the principles of density and buoyancy. Students use soy sauce fishes and soft drink bottles filled with water. By changing the water pressure, they make the fish move up and down.