Science Buddies Blog (Page 43)

Make Your Own Sorting Machine

February 6, 2017 9:00 AM

Creative DIY STEM projects like making a sorting machine help students understand steps of the engineering design process. Plus, hands-on science activities like this are lots of fun in the classroom and give kids a practical challenge to solve. Have you ever used a machine that you put a handful of coins into, and the coins fall into collectors based on the type of coin? This kind of machine is fun to use and makes it easy to sort your money. The… Read more

Lesson Plans Help Teachers Put Hands-on Science on the Calendar

January 26, 2017 1:33 PM

Science Buddies Lesson Plans make it easier than ever for teachers to confidently lead standards-based science and engineering experiments and activities with their students. A collage of screenshots show a summary page for a catapult project on the website ScienceBuddies.org. At the top of the project summary page there is a navigation bar with tabs for lesson and teacher tools highlighted. Links on the right of the project summary page show a standards link that… Read more

Enzymes, Foam, and Hydrogen Peroxide

January 20, 2017 10:51 AM

A hands-on science activity helps students observe the role of the catalase enzyme in breaking down hydrogen peroxide in the body. Enzymes in the Body Enzymes are molecules in the human body that help speed up chemical reactions. Some enzymes help with the digestion of food in the body, but there are thousands of different kinds of enzymes, each designed to help with a specific reaction. For example, while you might use hydrogen peroxide externally, when hydrogen peroxide forms inside… Read more

Mechanical Science Scissor Lift

January 18, 2017 1:26 PM

Kids can experiment with physics and mechanical engineering at home or in the classroom by making a fun cardboard scissor lift. Explore Mechanical Science Simple devices and machines can be used to help solve everyday problems. A scissor lift is a device that can fold up compactly but can extend to a great length. This kind of device uses a system of mechanical linkages and can stretch out or contract with an accordion-like motion. In the Build a… Read more

Your Digital Classroom: Assign the Science Project with Google Classroom Integration

January 11, 2017 1:00 PM

Did better productivity and classroom organization make your New Year's resolutions list for your science class? Give our Google Classroom Integration a try to make it easier than ever to assign and manage science projects with Science Buddies! More and more classrooms are shifting the balance between printed handouts and the use of paperless and digital environments. If your school uses Google Classroom, our Google Classroom Integration tools allow… Read more

Get Computer Smart about File Deletion

January 9, 2017 10:15 AM

What happens when a computer file is deleted may surprise you. A new science project guides students in investigating how files are stored and deleted and how different methods for file deletion may change the end result. Is a deleted file really gone? Put it to the test to find out! Is a Deleted File Gone for Good? Typically, when you delete a computer file, it is because it is a file you no longer need or want, and you intend to remove it from your computer. But sometimes, you might… Read more

Finger Paint Fractals

January 5, 2017 11:56 AM

Kids can explore fractals and search for similar and repeating patterns with a family-friendly science activity at home. Beautiful Math Fractals refer to specific kinds of patterns that repeat, often at smaller and smaller sizes. This characteristic of patterns that repeat at different scales is referred to as self-similarity. Fractals can be found in nature as well as in digital art. While the study of fractals is something mathematicians do, kids of… Read more

Experimenting with Virtual Reality Science

December 30, 2016 10:58 AM

With an inexpensive cardboard viewer and a few phone apps, students can explore the creation and effectiveness of virtual reality content. How does it work, how difficult is it to make, and how do people respond to this kind of content? Science Buddies has multiple science and engineering project ideas to help students put these questions to the test. Virtual Reality has been a staple in science fiction books and movies for years, but Virtual Reality technology has been relatively slow to… Read more

Merry Science: Take a Candle Carousel for a Spin

December 16, 2016 10:30 AM

This fun hands-on science project mixes aerodynamics and holiday cheer! Above left: Christmas Pyramid photo by Tamorlan, via Wikimedia Commons. Above right: candle carousel created as part of a student science project. Music, twinkling lights, bright colors—a carousel can be a feast for your senses. Maybe you remember riding one at an amusement park or carnival, or even a small coin-operated machine in front of a grocery store. Small or… Read more

Better Lip Balm Science

December 12, 2016 7:00 AM

Thanks to help from a team of volunteers at PPG, a cosmetics-focused student chemistry project got a "lift." The updated project gives interested students the chance to create and test a homemade lip balm product using quantitative analysis in keeping with the requirements for many student science project assignments. Above: PPG employees put the Cosmetic Science: Testing Lip Balm Recipes student science project to a hands-on test as part of a volunteer activity. Cosmetics and… Read more

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