Chemistry
Safety instruction was an essential part of the first day's instruction.
They also learned that a gram molecular weight, 6x1023 atoms of a substance, is called a mole in chemistry.
To make sure they remembered the name they made these little felt moles.
Start with pieces of felt that you join with staples turn inside out and stuff.
They also investigated polymers by making slime.
Colors, glitter and glow in the dark varieties.
Physics
High voltage from a Van de Graaff and it's effects began the physics class.
They built electroscopes and then became one themselves if they wanted to.
They were shocked when the current through them lit light bulbs.
Build and carefully adjust your telegraph receiver.
Test its operation with a compass or a magnetic field viewer.
Then it could be used to send a signal across a continent.
If we had a wire that long.
Generators, simple motors, and what household items used the most power were part of their studies.
And the effect of moving magnetic fields on conductors and vice versa.
We didn't get pictures but we also studied sound and resonance.
Astronomy
Star projection domes were the first project.
Then build two different kinds of rockets.
One powered with the production of carbon dioxide from an Alka Seltzer tablet.
The other with a simple rubber band launcher.
Computers
Any number can be represented using only the digits 1 and 0.
Wooden rods 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 inches long can be used to show that any distance up to 31 inches can be made using them.
Figure out the binary number that solves the equation.
They also became human fax machines.
They transmitted pictures by telling their partner the number of consecutive white and black squares in each line.
That allowed the partner to reconstruct a facsimile of the original picture.
Biology
On survivor island they had to decide how to allocate their resources so the group could survive and thrive.
Extract DNA. YOURS!!
Collect a few of your cells.
Then use chemical reagents to separate the DNA they contain.
A little patience and you can see the result.
Dissection of a squid let the kids see all of its external and internal anatomy.
Physics Olympics on Thursday.
Teams competed for prizes by completing a number of problems.
During some down time they could try to solve the "Eight Queens Problem".
This year's big contest was to build a tower from drinking straws at home.
The towers were tested by filling a box on top of each with marbles until the tower failed.
They were ranked by the product of their height in centimeters and the number of marbles they supported.
One group of competitors and their entries.
Our congratulations to the winners of the various contests.
This year we visited COSI in Columbus Ohio.
A long drive, but worth it.
Learn about the pyramids, take a spin that leaves you stuck to the wall as the floor falls away.
Ride a unicycle on a high wire.
It is fun even if you get stuck and have to get some help to get back.
Make images on a pin wall, ride a space capsule, and maneuver earth moving equipment by remote control.
Another Van de Graaff to try.
They got a charge out of it.
A stop at Burger King on the way home.
We all had a great time and I expect to see most of the students back again next year.