Family Science | Science Buddies Blog (Page 29)

June 28, 2012 10:55 AM

Planes, trains, and automobiles... all great ways to get around. But when it comes to exploring cool travel, the hovercraft shines with its ability to effortlessly glide across land or water. Make one at home to explore the aerodynamics at work! DIY hovercraft science is perfect for Star Wars fans or kids who love any kind of vehicle. With some very low-tech materials like paper plates, foam board, or old compact discs, your students can build their own and learn more about how a… Read more

Summer Program Lets Students Get Their Game On

June 27, 2012 8:21 AM

A new online video game design program from the makers of Gamestar Mechanic offers video game enthusiasts the chance to move from player to designer—with the help of industry pros. "Whether you're a beginning game designer or have some prior experience, the key way to 'level up' is to keep making games and getting feedback on your work." ~ Brian Alspach, E-Line Media Virtual "Summer Camp" for Student Video Game Designers A new four-week summer program for students combines… Read more

Blueprints for Family Science Fun

June 26, 2012 10:37 AM

In a series of fun and accessible family science projects, Science Buddies and Scientific American make it easy to add family science to your together-time activities. Each week, Scientific American posts a new family science activity at Bring Science Home. Designed to be engaging for students ages six to twelve, and easy for parents to lead, these science explorations help families explore the science around them. (Image: Bigstock) Through activities posted in Scientific American's… Read more

Putty Science: Family Fun with Polymers

June 21, 2012 6:51 AM

Creating a batch of homemade putty puts polymers in the palm of your hand. This family science activity may inspire nostalgia, but your kids will have a blast exploring the tactile medium. From slime-factor to elasticity to bounciness, homemade putty has all the ingredients for family science fun—and plenty of molecule chains! In this easy summer science activity your kids do a bit of literal hands-on mixing and, pop, out comes a wad a putty. For more information about the… Read more

Hooked on Manga: Comic Science

June 13, 2012 7:25 AM

If your readers are fans of one comic format or another, you may find that science-themed manga titles are a welcome addition to your younger and middle students' summer reading lists. Guidance for Parents If your kids gravitate toward graphic novels like dinoflagellates to nutrients in an algal bloom, feed their interest and give them a boost of summer science at the same time! We've got suggestions for manga and comic titles you might consider for your readers, but if you have… Read more

Roller Coaster Science: Marbles, Tubes, and Loops

June 12, 2012 10:22 AM

Building paths for marbles to race, climb, and loop brings physics to heart-pounding life—minus the admission fee, height requirement, and endless wait in line. A willingness to uncover principles of energy and laws of motion is required; cotton candy is optional. Image: Bigstock Roller coasters and marble runs offer an engaging platform for invention, engineering, and physics-based investigation. Get hands on exploring what kinds of loops are possible, how energy changes during a… Read more

Summer Science Reading

June 8, 2012 12:19 PM

Your students need to keep reading—all summer long. Reading helps fight summer brain drain, but if you encourage your students to read books with a science theme, the pages read do double duty. And you? If a popular science title isn't what you would typically grab for a vacation read, it might be time to shake up your summer reading. Science Buddies staff offers suggestions for engaging science-themed reads for tweens and up. As our… Read more

Beat Brain Drain with Summer Science

June 7, 2012 12:30 PM

Student "brain drain" during the summer is more than just media hype. Statistics on academic loss offer a cautionary tale, but taking steps to infuse summer fun with summer science can help keep critical skills in motion. Summer science might be just the synapse boost your student needs to bridge the days between school years! Summer is a great time for students to engage in big and small science projects at home—no grades required! Doing science in the summer can help keep… Read more

Family Dinner: Serving Up Science

June 5, 2012 8:04 AM

Families who gather around the table to eat turn off the electronics, put down their books, pass the salt, salad, or main course, and tune in to one another. With busy schedules carving out the hours of the days for both students and parents, the minutes shared over a meal give everyone a moment to slow down, regroup, and refocus. Working a bit of science into your dinner table talk can be easy—and rewarding for everyone involved. Compelling dinner discussion isn't always… Read more

Pinhole Viewer: Trying Again for the Transit

June 4, 2012 9:40 AM

The Venus Transit offers a wonderful opportunity for family summer science and an easy DIY science activity—making a pinhole viewer. From parallax to exoplanets, tomorrow's transit raises plenty of talking points for students and their families, but a safe viewing strategy is a must. During the Venus Transit, Venus will appear as a dark spot crossing the face of the Sun. Safe viewing is a must, but families can witness this event, which won't happen again until 2117, using a… Read more

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