Family Science | Science Buddies Blog (Page 20)

Puppy Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

January 16, 2014 9:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a mammalian biology project and family activity that encourages families to talk about and explore why puppies and other animals huddle together for warmth. Does cuddling up really increase warmth? Put it to the test in this hands-on science experiment! Huddle & Cuddle: How Puppies Keep Warm (full Science Buddies Project Idea) Snuggly Science: How Puppies Keep Warm (science activity at Scientific American) Read more

Sweaty Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

January 3, 2014 11:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a sports science project and family activity that lets you experiment to find out how different activities affect your heart rate. Exercise is important, but do all forms of exercise make your heart work the same? Does your heart work as hard when you are walking as it does when you are jumping on a trampoline or playing a game of basketball? Which activities and exercises really get your heart going? What does it feel like when your heart starts working harder?… Read more

Women in Engineering: Mary Barra Takes Keys to Car Manufacturing Company

January 2, 2014 8:00 AM

The story of the next General Motors CEO may help change ideas about car engineering and gender and inspire future generations of female engineers. Photo: John F. Martin for General MotorsWhat happens when a girl grows up loving to build, design, engineer, tinker, solve, create, and improve upon what's "out there"? What happens when a girl who loves those things gets encouragement, opportunity, and education that supports her interests? She might just take over as chief executive officer of a… Read more

Cornbread Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

December 30, 2013 7:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a food science project and family activity that explores the role of baking powder in baking. In this pair of projects, experiment to see the affect of baking powder on corn bread muffins for a clear visual look at what happens when you use more or less in your recipe. Does a light and airy muffin indicate one with or without baking powder? How does the density or weight of a muffin change in relation to the amount of baking powder used? What happens if you use… Read more

Science and Engineering Activities for the Winter Break (Or Any Time!)

December 19, 2013 11:52 AM

As you prepare for winter break and lots of indoor time with your kids, consider scheduling some time for family science. We have suggestions for fun hands-on science and engineering activities you can do with your kids that might feel a lot like playing or crafting even though there is plenty of science at hand! By this point in the year, you have hopefully nailed down any upcoming gift-giving moments and are ready to kick back with your kids, friends, and family and enjoy the final days of… Read more

Memory Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

December 19, 2013 10:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a human behavior science project and family activity that explores memory and how using a mnemonic device can help you remember a string of words or the items in a list. Have you ever used the HOMES acronym to help you remember the names of the Great Lakes or ROYGBIV (or Roy G. Biv) to remember the order of the seven colors in a rainbow? In this science project, you conduct a controlled experiment to see whether or not a mnemonic device makes a difference in… Read more

Family Robotics: Toothbrush Bots that Follow the Light

December 12, 2013 10:00 AM

Building light-tracking robots as a family activity lets you and your kids take next steps in electronics and circuitry! My kids and I had a great time over the summer whetting our teeth on basic robotics and electronics by transforming toothbrushes into cute little Bristlebot robots that look and work very much like commercially-available nano or hex bugs. The basic Bristlebots robotics engineering project is a fun hands-on activity and one that works for a wide range of ages. You can… Read more

Taste Bud Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

December 6, 2013 1:00 PM

In this week's spotlight: a human biology and health science project and family activity that encourages you and your family to investigate the science of taste! Do your taste buds differ from those of your friends, siblings, or other family members? Probably! In this project, you conduct a scientific experiment to explore your taste threshold for things that are salty, sweet, or sour. Once you've analyzed your own taste buds, see how other family members and friends… Read more

Sauce Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

December 2, 2013 8:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a food science project and family activity perfect for the holiday kitchen! Are cranberries a part of your holiday menu? Does your family like a wiggly, solid cranberry roll, or do you make a looser cranberry sauce. What causes the difference in consistency? In these hands-on science projects, you and your family can experiment to see how cooking time affects the natural pectin in cranberries. From Sauce to Solid: The Science of Cranberry Condiments (full… Read more

How Flaky Are You? The Science of Pie Crust

November 27, 2013 10:04 AM

During the holiday season, pies are front-and-center on the dessert menu. Become the pie-baking champion in your family with this tasty experiment. By Kim Mullin Turning Family Baking into Family Science In the "Perfecting Pastries" kitchen science project, students explore the role of fats in piecrust making. Different fats (and fats at different temperatures) can make a big difference in the texture of the crust. But what about gluten? If your family festivities involve… Read more

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