The Science Centre is a great place to take your class on a field trip! The Science Centre includes hands on activities, workshops, and resources for teachers to explore.
Contact number: 306-791-7943
bookings@sasksciencecentre.com
Today, Carrie Anne is going to take a look at how those transistors we talked about last episode can be used to perform complex actions. With the just two states, on and off, the flow of electricity can be used to perform a number of logical operations, which are guided by a branch of mathematics called Boolean Algebra. We’re going to focus on three fundamental operations - NOT, AND, and OR - and show how they were created in a series of really useful circuits. And its these simple electrical circuits that lay the groundwork for our much more complex machines.
Conservation organizations teamed up to document the climate vulnerability of mountain springs that support unique ecosystems. Now, the Alliance they formed facilitates restoration work to enhance habitats and improve resiliency.
The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, specifically their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. “Very little of the world’s flora has been fully studied,” says one Smithsonian botanist, “and time is running out.” In the first lesson, students gets to know six endangered plants. They examine illustrations, photographs, and dried specimens of the plants as they consider this question: If a scientist can take a picture of a plant, are there advantages in having an illustration? They go on to consider some of the big questions that botanists themselves must ask: Which of these species are most in need of conservation efforts? Are any of these plants more worth saving than others?In the second lesson, the students try their own hands at botanical illustration, following the methods of a Smithsonian staff illustrator. All that is required for the lesson are pencils, markers, tracing paper, and access to a photocopier.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Have you ever heard of Gak? Take this hands-on activity to the next level and make your own bouncy balls so you can learn a little something about polymers.
ABOUT THE SCIENCE
In response to the July 22, 2016 Health Canada advisory, the bouncy ball experiment was recently updated.
Balls have been around for thousands of years and, believe it or not, the earliest balls were made of stone and wood! Not much bounce to those first ones!Bouncing balls were first made with natural rubber, but now, they can also be made of plastics and other polymers.
Polymers are molecules made up of repeating chemical units, and they can be either natural or synthetic. Natural polymers are wool, silk, and natural rubber, whereas synthetic polymers can be made of nylon, silicone, or synthetic rubber.
Bouncy balls (as a toy), were invented by a chemist who was experimenting with rubber. He found when he compressed rubber together under about 3500 pounds per square inch (psi) the result was a really durable sphere capable of extremely high bounce. Other factors that affect a ball’s ability to bounce are: temperature, outside coverings, different surfaces for bouncing and whether or not the ball is solid or inflated with air
Students examine how different balls react when colliding with different surfaces, giving plenty of opportunity for them to see the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions, learn how to calculate momentum, and understand the principle of conservation of momentum.
In this activity, students examine how different balls react when colliding with different surfaces. Also, they will have plenty of opportunity to learn how to calculate momentum and understand the principle of conservation of momentum.
Aperçu : Bienvenue dans une autre leçon de codage Make Stuff Move. Cette deuxième leçon va vous montrer comment déplacer un servo à l'aide du bouton sur votre bouclier d'animation.
Building on lessons learned over several summers, Kristin Raab—Health Impact Assessment and Climate Change Program Director in the Environmental Health Division of Minnesota’s Department of Health—packaged information from diverse communities into a cohesive toolkit that communities of all sizes can use to prepare for heat waves. The Minnesota Extreme Heat Toolkit describes changing weather conditions in Minnesota, the magnitude of potential health consequences from extreme heat, and key steps communities can take to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths. The toolkit acknowledges that extreme heat response plans will vary with the size of the community and the habits of its residents: examples from the mostly rural Olmsted County and the urban centers of Saint Paul and Minneapolis illustrate a range of community plans that could be useful in Minnesota and beyond.
BrainPOP invites students to discover, play and create, enriching and deepening their understanding of topics across the curriculum. Children are encouraged to make movies out of images, build maps and develop their block-based coding skills. BrianPOP Jr. targets children from 0 to 3 whereas BrainPOP focuses on K-12 grade children.
Students learn about the similarities between the human brain and its engineering counterpart, the computer. Since students work with computers routinely, this comparison strengthens their understanding of both how the brain works and how it parallels that of a computer. Students are also introduced to the "stimulus-sensor-coordinator-effector-response" framework for understanding human and robot actions.
Students learn about and experiment with the concept of surface tension. How can a paper clip "float" on top of water? How can a paper boat be powered by soap in water? How do water striders "walk" on top of water? Why do engineers care about surface tension? Students answer these questions as they investigate surface tension and surfactants.
Students are introduced to the respiratory system, the lungs and air. They learn about how the lungs and diaphragm work, how air pollution affects lungs and respiratory functions, some widespread respiratory problems, and how engineers help us stay healthy by designing machines and medicines that support respiratory health and function.
Students use a simple pH indicator to measure how much CO2 is produced during respiration, at rest and after exercising. They begin by comparing some common household solutions in order to determine the color change of the indicator. They review the concepts of pH and respiration and extend their knowledge to measuring the effectiveness of bioremediation in the environment.
"Rock-star physicist" Brian Cox talks about his work on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Discussing the biggest of big science in an engaging, accessible way, Cox brings us along on a tour of the massive project. A quiz, thought provoking question, and links for further study are provided to create a lesson around the 15-minute video. Educators may use the platform to easily "Flip" or create their own lesson for use with their students of any age or level.
Physicist Brian Greene explains superstring theory, the idea that minscule strands of energy vibrating in 11 dimensions create every particle and force in the universe. A quiz, thought provoking question, and links for further study are provided to create a lesson around the 19-minute video. Educators may use the platform to easily "Flip" or create their own lesson for use with their students of any age or level.
Students will understand the structural importance of the arch shape in bridge design. Students will compare and contrast modern arch bridges to historical arch bridges. Students will design and sketch their own arch bridge design.
Students will understand what a cable-stayed bridge is and its structural importance. Students will identify the different key parts of a cable-stayed bridge. Students will study how the forces of compresion and tension are distributed on this type of bridge. Students will make comparisons between cable stayed bridges and other bridges that they are familiar with. Students will design and construct a scale sketch of their own cable-stayed bridge.
Students will understand how suspension bridges work. Students will identify the main parts of a suspension bridge. Students will know the signifigance of suspension bridges to modern construction. Students will design and draw their own suspension bridge. Students will learn what civil engineers put into consideration when designing a suspention bridge.
Students will learn the geometry and structural importance of a truss which allows it to be used to make bridges. Students will work in pairs to design, build, and test the strength of their own small wooden truss bridge. Students will know the importance of materials used in truss bridges.