Science Tricks - Surfing Scientist - The Lab Tricks Blow underwater bubble rings Everybody loves bubbles and we're all mystified by the swirls of a vortex. Combine the two and you've got yourself the coolest trick under the sea. Banana 'candle' trick This classic prank will appeal to anyone with a penchant for plantains but don't be fooled! Explore more Tricks Dry footprints on wet sand Why do your footprints look dry when you step on wet sand? Salt experiment How and why does water mix in our oceans? Cloud in a bottle Pump a soft drink bottle full of air, pop the top and bam! Doppler effect Swing a ringing phone inside a long sturdy sock and you will hear the strangely familiar Doppler effect. Swipe card experiment Sprinkle some iron filings on an old swipe card and pretty magnetic patterns appear right before your eyes. Unmixing experiment Can you unmix a mixed-up liquid? Coin experiment Master this impossible looking trick and you'll feel like a ninja Jedi master of the ever-expanding universe... or your money back! Fountain experiment
When French Toast Met Pancakes If you ever want me to like you, just make me a light, fluffy stack of pancakes. I’ll blush, I’ll smile a lot, I might propose–it’ll be weird and cute. Promise. Just when I thought pancakes couldn’t get any better, I stumbled upon this recipe by Tasty Kitchen member frecklesandsunshine. The title: When French Toast Met Pancakes…and Fell In Love totally made me giddy with butterflies in my stomach. What makes this recipe so unusual (and delicious) is how the French toast is coated in a very thin pancake batter, creating an amazing crust around the bread. Let’s dive in, shall we? You’ll need some ingredients. I used brioche because I wanted something that would be able to take the heavy batter. In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat ‘em until they’re light and fluffy. Next, we’re just going to add all of the ingredients (minus the bread) one at a time. The baking powder … The vegetable oil … Vanilla extract (having fun yet?) Brown sugar … All-purpose flour … And lastly, the cinnamon.
25 Ways to Obtain Children's Attention in a School Setting by Leah Davies, M.Ed. By Leah Davies, M.Ed. There are countless times when educators need their students' undivided attention. The following methods are best taught during the first weeks of school. 1. 2. (1) Eyes -- look (2) Ears -- listen (3) Mouth -- closed (4) Hands -- still (5) Feet -- quiet Later when you say, "Give me five," the children are to think of these five things and hold up their hand to show they are ready to listen. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 1 - No talking 2 - Whispering 3 - Normal talking Use a large clip to indicate the acceptable noise level at any given time. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.Teach young children the following chant: Teacher says; "1, 2." 23. 24. 25. Note: A special thank you to all of the educators on teacher chatboards who contributed their "attention getting ideas" for use in this article.
Kidipede - History and Science for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School The Ultimate Strawberry Lemonade One of the first times I ever realized that – HEY! I can cook for myself! – was when I first learned to make lemonade. I magically found the refrigerated lemon juice at our house and followed the directions to make my own lemonade. Sorry for the detour. Anyway, there was a summer there where I made my own lemonade every single day, making sure to rub it in my sister’s face that I knew how to and she didn’t. The key to this being the ultimate lemonade is that you blend it up with the lemon rind in there. And any time of day for that matter. (makes 2 pint-glass servings with ice) 3/4 cup sugar2 large lemons, microwaved for 30 seconds2 cups water1 cup of frozen strawberries, microwaved for 1 minute (you could use fresh, but I think the frozen works better here) In a blender squeeze the lemons and add the rest of the lemon, rind and all. **Note: I like to microwave the lemons to release more of the juices, and microwaving the strawberries does the same sort of thing.
Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class The following is a guest post from Michelle Doman, a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Brandon Middle School in Wisconsin. Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class Many people get a little squeamish, wiggly, and offer a scrunched expression when I respond to the question, “What grades do you teach?” I teach middle school, and with heart and honesty, I find great joys (and challenges) in teaching the group referred to as “tweens” and adolescents. So, I invite you into the quirky world of middle school. Here are the Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class... 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. If anyone has more ideas to capture the wondering, daydreaming, (hormonal) minds of middle school students, I would love to read about them. Related Articles 10 MORE Ways to Wake-up Students in Class About the Author Michelle Doman is a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Brandon Middle School in Wisconsin's Rosendale-Brandon School District. P.S.
The Elegant Universe | Watch the Program (full-screen) The Elegant Universe: Part 3 PBS Airdate: November 4, 2003 NARRATOR: Now, on NOVA, take a thrill ride into a world stranger than science fiction, where you play the game by breaking some rules, where a new view of the universe pushes you beyond the limits of your wildest imagination. This is the world of "string theory," a way of describing every force and all matter from an atom to earth, to the end of the galaxies—from the birth of time to its final tick, in a single theory, a "Theory of Everything." Our guide to this brave new world is Brian Greene, the bestselling author and physicist. BRIAN GREENE (Columbia University): And no matter how many times I come here, I never seem to get used to it. NARRATOR: Can he help us solve the greatest puzzle of modern physics—that our understanding of the universe is based on two sets of laws that don't agree? NARRATOR: Resolving that contradiction eluded even Einstein, who made it his final quest. S. BRIAN GREENE:The atmosphere was electric. S. S.
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting I couldn't believe my eyes this week when I saw the ad for Pumpkin Spice Lattes in my local Starbucks. Pumpkin Spice already? But there's still a little more summer to be had, isn't there? Of course, it was impossible to stay upset for too long; after all, this is lovely pumpkin -- one of my favorite flavors of all time -- that we're talking about! So, I ransacked my pumpkin-flavored recipes to find this one for Pumpkin Cupcakes. Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from AllRecipes Ingredients For cupcakes 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 teaspoon ground allspice1/2 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup butter, softened1 cup white sugar1/3 cup brown sugar2 eggs3/4 cup milk1 cup pumpkin puree For frosting Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Image via shimelle/Flickr
The Socratic Method The Socratic Method:Teaching by Asking Instead of by Tellingby Rick Garlikov The following is a transcript of a teaching experiment, using the Socratic method, with a regular third grade class in a suburban elementary school. I present my perspective and views on the session, and on the Socratic method as a teaching tool, following the transcript. The class was conducted on a Friday afternoon beginning at 1:30, late in May, with about two weeks left in the school year. This time was purposely chosen as one of the most difficult times to entice and hold these children's concentration about a somewhat complex intellectual matter. The experiment was to see whether I could teach these students binary arithmetic (arithmetic using only two numbers, 0 and 1) only by asking them questions. I had one prior relationship with this class. "But what I am really here for today is to try an experiment with you. 1) "How many is this?" 2) "Who can write that on the board?" 4) Another way? 5) Another way?