Science Buddies Blog (Page 81)

Changing Diabetes: A Pro Cycling Team with a Mission

August 5, 2013 10:00 AM

This summer, top cycling teams from around the world tackled extreme terrain and intense competition in the centennial Tour de France. The race, one of the most well-known in the sport, is a goal for many professional cycling teams—including an international team of cyclists who all have Type 1 Diabetes. Meet Team Novo Nordisk. As the team trains for a future Tour de France, they are spreading awareness about Type 1 Diabetes with every ride they take. Members of Team Novo Nordisk… Read more

Finding a Fitting Hands-on Science Project Now Easier than Ever!

August 2, 2013 5:00 AM

Thanks to support from Cisco Systems, Inc., Science Buddies' library of free science Project Ideas now has filters to help students, teachers, and parents find projects that best fit their needs. With more than 1,200 Project Ideas in more than 30 areas of science, Science Buddies has suggestions for hands-on science exploration to meet the needs and interests of K-12 students around the world. Thanks to ongoing Project Idea development from our in-house team of scientists, and in… Read more

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

August 1, 2013 5:27 AM

In this week's spotlight: a pair of science projects for buggy, backyard exploration. What does it mean for an area to be have a lot of biodiversity? Why is this important to the health of an ecosystem? How do scientists measure biodiversity? You can explore by doing a study of the biodiversity of insects in your own backyard using a homemade bug collector. This week's hands-on science project and activity guide either an independent project or a family investigation. How many types of… Read more

Playful Programming and Cool Code: From Tech User to Tech Creator

July 30, 2013 9:00 AM

A move is on in the worlds of tech and education, a push to show students that learning to code is important, fun, and maybe not as hard as they think! Exploring code is easier today than ever, and even students who may not be thinking yet about career paths stand to gain valuable thinking and reasoning skills from learning, practicing, and using fundamental programming skills. Getting Started with Scratch Interested in exploring what is means to create a computer program? Scratch makes… Read more

Fruit and Gelatin Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

July 25, 2013 6:20 AM

In this week's spotlight: a pair of science projects from the kitchen. Is a gelatin-based fruit salad in your recipe book of family favorites? What fruit do you add? Will any fruit work? Put it to the test with this week's hands-on science exploration and investigate what the enzymes in certain fruits have to do with whether or not a gelatin will solidify properly when a fruit is added. Which Fruits Can Ruin Your Gelatin Dessert? (full Science Buddies Project Idea) Solidifying… Read more

Super Scratch Succeeds in Scratching the Surface of Code with Cartoon Fun

July 19, 2013 7:46 AM

Video games and comic books team up against the Dark Wizard in this hands-on how to book for kids. As the main characters tackle fun quests, kids learn programming fundamentals—and have fun making their own video games. Note: a new version of this book is now available that covers Scratch 2. Sparking Interest in Programming Super Scratch Programming Adventure!: Learn to Program By Making Cool Games By The LEAD Project (Learning through Engineering, Art and Design) Months ago, when I… Read more

Student Science: Straw Suspension Bridge

July 18, 2013 6:05 AM

How does the Golden Gate Bridge or another suspension bridge work? Does the suspension design help it support more weight than other types of bridges? In the "Keeping You in Suspens(ion)" science project, students put these questions to the test. With ordinary materials—straws, tape, string, paper clips, and a small cup—students can quickly model a suspension bridge and test its weight-bearing capacity compared to a simple beam bridge made from the same materials. How many pennies… Read more

Human-Powered Helicopter: Pedal Power Engineering

July 17, 2013 10:00 AM

A team from Canada captures a longstanding prize with their human-powered helicopter. You won't be parking yours any time soon, but the story is an inspiring example of engineering design, innovation, and perseverance. News of a last month's human-powered helicopter flight "win" by a Canadian engineering team brought the movie Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) immediately to mind. Kiki has always been a favorite of the Hayao Miyazaki movies in my house, but the character obsessed with… Read more

Citrus Science Crisis: From Fruitful to Fruit 'fall'

July 16, 2013 10:00 AM

Thanks to the Asian citrus psyllids, your breakfast cup of orange juice is at risk. Learn more about citrus greening, the threat to the citrus industry, and ways students can develop related hands-on science investigations. A Fruity Problem Apple and orange growers, both, are fighting for the survival of their crops. The enemy—pests. The image above from the USDA shows leaves covered by Asian citrus psyllids in various stages of their life cycle. Related Reading Teresa Weir's… Read more

Basketball Science on the Court

July 15, 2013 7:45 AM

Have a sports-oriented kid? Playing basketball can engage muscle power and brain power! For summertime fun, hit the courts to explore the science behind shooting hoops. By Kim Mullin Better Basketball? Can science help you improve your skills on the court? It might! Sports science projects let you explore the science and physics behind a favorite pastime. Shoot some hoops; score some science points. Basketball season may be officially over, but it's a safe bet that lots of kids are… Read more

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