Make A Sundial
Make A Sundial
Make A Sundial
How do you tell time without a watch? Use the sun! The sun
can be an accurate time telling device as long as you have the
tools to help you. Many ancient peoples used sundials to keep
track of time. The earliest sundials we know of are the shadow
clocks (circa 1500 BC) that were used in Egyptian and
Babylonian astronomy. Show your child how people were able
to tell time long before analog, and then digital clocks,
appeared on the scene.
1. Fold your paper in half and then in half again so that when you open it you have four
sections. Now label each section with the four categories of simple machines: pulley,
lever, wedge, wheel and axle. Make one scorecard per child.
2. Explain that this is a scientific scavenger hunt to uncover simple machines in your
home. Review the simple machines.
o Pulley: a grooved wheel that holds a line, used to raise heavy objects.
o Lever: a rigid bar used with a fulcrum to lift an object.
o Wedge: a sloping surface.
o Wheel and axle: a bar which rotates along with a pair of wheels.
3. Remind your child that some tools consist of one simple machine (nail = wedge) while
others combine two or more (wheelbarrow = lever + wheel and axle).
4. Give each child a scorecard to record their finds and a pencil.
5. Let the hunt begin.
6. If one child lags, help him out with a few hints. Here are a few of the most common
places to find simple machines in the home:
o Pulley: blinds, garage doors, flag poles
o Lever: see saw, pry bar, lever action door latches
o Wedge: scissors, screw, a knife.
o Wheel and axle: office chairs, carts, wheeled carry-on luggage and toy cars.
Forms of Energy
Energy is the ability to change or move matter, and matter is
everything that takes up space. Without energy, the world could
not function! Here is a practical way to demonstrate specific
forms of energy that's also completely kid-friendly!
Y E Y M N D A D F N R S H Y O C R E
N T C T A U Q Z R Z O E G W I A C T
O E I N I S C O F L R R W T Y L I H
I V E C A V S L A R E J E O I O Y G
T A I F I T A R E N I N R P P F G I
O W T N G R S R E A I C S E N S U L
M K E D J N T I G K R E T C T N C T
U Y N T B F R C S V D O Z I I T N U
T R G N E L K Y E E U F P V O E A D
I O A P Q P L T Z L R L E I R N D M
X E M E C R O F Q H E R W R Z V T V
J H F H I V X A Z N S E U J R N H V
Y T Y M D Q G A T E O C P U H T V X
Instructions:
1. Take the glass of water and paper to a part of the room with sunlight (near a window is
good).
2. Hold the glass of water (being careful not to spill it) above the paper and watch as sunlight
passes through the glass of water, refracts (bends) and forms a rainbow of colors on your
sheet of paper.
3. Try holding the glass of water at different heights and angles to see if it has a different
effect.
What's happening?
While you normally see a rainbow as an arc of color in the sky, they can also form in other
situations. You may have seen a rainbow in a water fountain or in the mist of a waterfall and you
can even make your own such as you did in this experiment.
Rainbows form in the sky when sunlight refracts (bends) as it passes through raindrops, it acts in
the same way when it passes through your glass of water. The sunlight refracts, separating it into
the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
DESIGN AND TEST A
PARACHUTE
Learn about air resistance while making an awesome
parachute! Design one that can fall slowly to the ground
before putting it to the test, making modifications as you go.
Instructions:
1. Cut out a large square from your plastic bag or material.
2. Trim the edges so it looks like an octagon (an eight sided shape).
3. Cut a small whole near the edge of each side.
4. Attach 8 pieces of string of the same length to each of the holes.
5. Tie the pieces of string to the object you are using as a weight.
6. Use a chair or find a high spot to drop your parachute and test how well it worked,
remember that you want it to drop as slow as possible.
What's happening?
Hopefully your parachute will descend slowly to the ground, giving your weight a comfortable
landing. When you release the parachute the weight pulls down on the strings and opens up a
large surface area of material that uses air resistance to slow it down. The larger the surface area
the more air resistance and the slower the parachute will drop.
Cutting a small hole in the middle of the parachute will allow air to slowly pass through it rather
than spilling out over one side, this should help the parachute fall straighter.
REFERENCES:
https://www.education.com/activity/article/balloon-static/
https://www.education.com/activity/earth-science/?page=3
https://www.education.com/activity/article/Make_Sundial/
https://www.education.com/activity/article/See_the_Science_Sound/
https://www.education.com/activity/article/Make_a_liquid_scale/
https://www.education.com/activity/article/simple-machines-at-home/
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/freefall.html
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/makearainbow.html
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/quizzes/wordsearch/physics.html
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/lightcolorheat.html