Science Buddies Blog (Page 88)

Surfing Mavericks: The Science of Northern California's Big Waves

March 12, 2013 9:26 AM

When Mavericks' unusual sea floor terrain meets up with the perfect winter weather conditions rolling in from the Pacific Ocean, the surf's right for big waves. Students can learn more about the area's extreme surf with a range of hands-on science investigations. Photo: Courtesy, Rick Hyman In January, daredevil surfers and fans of extreme surfing gathered along Pillar Point, just outside of Half Moon Bay, CA, for Mavericks Invitational. It was the first time in three years that… Read more

The Results are In: Plotting Numerical Ranges

March 11, 2013 1:00 PM

Adding graphs to your science project display board helps others see how your project went. Knowing when to use a histogram, and how it differs from other kinds of charts, might just give you a statistical edge! The above image shows a sample histogram. It looks a lot like a bar chart, but it represents how data is distributed within certain ranges or "bins." Note: many sources say that in a histogram, there are no spaces between bars, but some online graph… Read more

Student Video Game Creators Get Their Game On

March 8, 2013 8:00 AM

The National STEM video game competition supports the potential of video game design as a tool for STEM education and rewards and encourages the learning process for emerging student video game developers. Science Buddies' video game design resources can help students get started on a path of game design and development that transforms a love of video game playing into an innovative process of game creation. What kind of video game will you build? Click the image above to view video samples… Read more

Weekly Science Project Idea/Home Science Activity Spotlight: Mixing Up Some Science Fun

March 7, 2013 8:45 AM

Are you looking for a school science project topic or a hands-on science activity to do on the weekend or with your family? Science Buddies' science projects come in all sizes! In this week's spotlight: a hands-on kitchen science investigation. What happens when you mix sand and water and how does the resulting mixture compare to a mixture of cornstarch and water? Learn more about mixtures, solutions, and colloids in this pair of fun, tactile science projects: Making Mixtures:… Read more

Hands-on Science in Action: Building a Cloud Chamber to View Radioactive Decay

March 6, 2013 6:02 AM

The above photos were taken during the creation of the "Particles in the Mist: See Radioactive Particles Decay with Your Own Cloud Chamber!" physics Project Idea. Radioactive decay particles are too small to reflect light and too small to see, but with a cloud chamber, you can confirm their presence and observe their movements by viewing the trail of ions they leave as they move throughout the chamber. This science project guides students in the construction of a DIY cloud chamber made… Read more

Weekly Science Project Idea/Home Science Activity Spotlight: Paper Airplanes

February 28, 2013 10:37 AM

Are you looking for a school science project topic or a hands-on science activity to do on the weekend or with your family? Science Buddies' science projects come in all sizes! In this week's spotlight: a pair of paper airplane science projects that turn ordinary paper airplane folding and flying into a fun hands-on science activity. Explore the effect of drag on flight in our updated aerodynamics project and in the family-friendly activity at Scientific American's Bring Science… Read more

DNA Show and Tell: Biotechnology You Can Wear Around Your Neck

February 27, 2013 8:45 AM

A biotechnology kit from Bio-Rad Laboratories introduces young scientists to the world of biochemistry. In this fun science activity, kids can extract their own DNA, examine it without a microscope, and create a pendant containing their DNA—the ultimate item for cool-but-geeky show and tell! By Kim Mullin With a fun science kit from Bio-Rad Laboratories, you and your students can extract DNA—and then preserve it in a cool necklace. This is hands-on science that is sure to be a hit… Read more

Seeing Student Hands-on Science in Action: Building a Crystal Radio

February 26, 2013 10:25 AM

The above photo series is from a recent 5th grade student's Crystal Radio science project. The student used the Science Buddies Kit for his science experiment but modified the experimental design of the crystal set during construction. After building the set, the student put the radio to the test, testing one of the many variables available for exploration with a crystal radio. The result? The student was one of the top five participants at his middle school science fair.… Read more

Support for K-12 Computer Science Exploration: Developing Tomorrow's Innovative Programmers

February 25, 2013 8:30 AM

Symantec commits continued funding to Science Buddies, allowing further expansion of the Science Buddies computer science area to help enable and inspire student computer science projects. In honor of International Corporate Philanthropy Day (ICPD), Symantec Corporation today announced more than $1 Million in funding in support of STEM and literacy education. The official announcement details Symantec's support of Science Buddies, Teach for America, NPower, Room to Read, and the World… Read more

Capitol Science: Science Education a White House Priority; Science Buddies Part of the Solution

February 22, 2013 12:00 PM

Science and STEM education are routine catch phases at the White House in policy, Presidential speeches, and science-centered events for K-12 students. Science Buddies recently participated in a special session with White House officials to discuss the future of STEM education and the importance of hands-on science exploration. As a trusted source for K-12 science education information and resources, Science Buddies, along with other popular science media publications, may play an important… Read more

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