Science Buddies Blog (Page 57)

Wearable Electronics: Sewing an LED Patch

August 12, 2015 1:00 PM

Whether you draw a patch from scratch or pick one up readymade, adding LEDs to a patch really lights things up. With needle, conductive thread, LEDs, and a power source, students can transform accessories or clothes into wearable electronics. This summer, I pulled up the LED Dance Glove: Get the Party Started with Your Own Interactive Light Show project idea at Science Buddies and decided to give wearable circuits another try. My attempt a few years… Read more

Sewing Electronics: Wearables that Light Up

August 11, 2015 11:00 AM

You don't have to channel Katniss or Elsa to wear something that lights up! Adding LEDs to a favorite bag or jacket is easier than you might expect. With some basic e-textile knowhow, you can create your own wearable circuits, so grab a needle, conductive thread, a coin cell battery, and some LEDs to sew your own custom wearable electronics! Wearable electronics have hovered on the fringe of fashion and design for a while, a space where engineering and… Read more

Seed Dispersal Science: Carried by the Wind

August 7, 2015 10:00 AM

Explore the ways in which the shape and size of a seed influences how far it may travel when carried or blown by wind. What characteristics help seeds travel long distances by wind? Photo: Ragesoss, Wikimedia Commons If you hold a dandelion to your lips and blow, the seeds scatter through the air. This scattering, also called dispersal, helps distribute seeds which helps plants reproduce. Wind can carry seeds away from their plants, but how far a seed… Read more

Planting a Solution to Soil Erosion

August 4, 2015 8:00 AM

If you think soil erosion amounts to a bit of soil being blown or washed away here and there, think again! Soil erosion costs billions of dollars each year. Can the use of plants help reduce soil erosion? This second grade student designed a project to put the idea to the test. With inexpensive baking trays and seeds, K-12 students can make model hillsides and explore! Over time, erosion can destabilize a hillside. As a result, erosion may put a… Read more

The Science of a Very Long Straw

July 30, 2015 8:30 AM

Explore atmospheric pressure by making and drinking from a very long straw in this week's science activity spotlight. Can a straw be too tall? Can you use a really tall straw? Your straw needs to be long enough to reach both the liquid you are drinking and your mouth, so it generally needs to be just a bit taller than the cup. Most straws are about the same size. There are some bigger ones, of course, that match up to larger cups you might order in a… Read more

Exploring 10,000 Steps a Day with Student Science

July 28, 2015 10:41 AM

Take a science project look at the benefits of walking, the idea of 10,000 steps a day, and the current fitness tracker trend. There are numerous variables students might explore and compare in custom science projects that look at health and human behavior. 10,000 steps a day. That's a rule of thumb widely passed around as the number of steps an average, healthy adult should target as a baseline for activity each day. The source of this number dates back to a 1960's Japanese… Read more

Supporting Girls Doing Science

July 24, 2015 2:00 PM

Science Buddies is working hard to excite girls about STEM—one science project at a time. Science Buddies was excited to be on hand in Washington D.C. this week alongside companies like EMC and Cisco as part of Women's Policy, Inc.'s Third Annual STEM Fair and Reception. With more than 16 million visitors a year and more than 1,100 free project ideas for student science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) exploration, Science Buddies is a… Read more

Make a Lemon Battery

July 24, 2015 7:00 AM

Explore electricity with a homemade battery in this week's science activity spotlight. Ever wondered how a battery works to store and generate electricity? With a lemon, a penny, some plastic coated paper clips, and aluminum foil, you can make a fruit-powered battery and really see how the process works! What kinds of materials conduct electricity? What about a lemon makes it capable of producing electricity? The power from a lemon isn't going to be… Read more

Make Your Berries Last Longer with Aloe?

July 20, 2015 4:00 PM

Making food last longer can cut down on waste and cost. Is there an easy way to lengthen the life of berries at home? Experiment to find out with a plant biology project. Photos: "Strawberries for sale at Mahabaleshwar" and "Aloe Vera", Wikimedia Commons Leaves from the aloe vera plant are often used to help soothe a sunburn, but the gel in the plant's leaves also has anti-fungal properties. If aloe can be used as an anti-fungal against certain kinds of fungus, can the plant (or aloe… Read more

Program Summer with Cool Computer Code

July 17, 2015 7:00 AM

Looking for ways to challenge your students this summer? Infuse summer downtime with fun opportunities to experiment with computer programming and coding. Experimenting with Scratch or another programming language, kids can dive into coding and create fun video games and apps. Each new project is a stepping stone to the next one! A Minecraft book caught the eye of one of my kids as we were leaving the book store recently. Usually, my kids don't glance… Read more

Science Buddies Blog (1,175 results)

Explore Our Science Videos