There's a Mad Scientist in All of Us!

Perhaps many of you who visited DISCUS at the Texas State Fair have one of these pictures.  I couldn't pass up the chance.  I think there really is a mad scientist in all of us.  I hope DISCUS helps you unlock your own mad scientist, by trying some of our interesting activities.  If you are a teacher, I think DISCUS can help you unlock the mad scientist in others. Use our collection of well-developed published lesson plans to communciate the excitement of science to your students.

Hair Dryer + Ping Pong Ball = Awesome

All you need is a hair dryer and a ping pong ball.  Turn the hair dryer, pointed upwards, on high, and then let the ping pong ball go in the air stream above it.  The ball will remain trapped in mid-air in the airstream.  Wow!

How does it work?  It's a demonstration of Bernoulli's Principle, which says that as the velocity of a fluid increases, the pressure exerted by that fluid decreases.  The pressure in the air stream delivered by the hair dryer is lower than the pressure outside of the air stream.  When the ping pong ball tries to leave the airstream, the surrounding high pressure air pushes the ball back into the stream, resulting in its levitation above the hair dryer.  Hair Dryer + Ping Pong Ball definitely = Awesome in this simple demonstration that anyone can try at home.

Cool Swirling Milk Demo

http://chemistry.about.com/

In a shallow saucer of milk, place some drops of different color food coloring (in the center, or near the outside rim).  The food coloring will just sit there.  Using a cotton swab, or an eye dropper, apply a small amount of dishwashing liquid somewhere close to or far away from the food coloring drops.  Watch as the colors spontaneously move, swirl, and mix.

What's happening?  When the detergent is introduced into the milk, a few things happen simultaneously.  The surface tension of the milk is lowered by the detergent, which allows the food coloring and other components in the milk to flow around more freely.  Additionally, the structure of proteins in the milk is affected by the detergent; they change shape (denature) and move.  Finally, the fat in the milk forms micelles which are pushed around.  All of this movement causes the dyes to swirl and move, remotely from the actual application of the detergent.

For more about this demo, visit chemistry.about.com.  A nice you tube video can also be found here.

We are at the 2010 Texas State Fair

Our booth is set up at the 2010 Texas State Fair.  This is our first time, but we will run a booth every year until at least 2014.  Already, we have had a great time sharing our excitement for science with fair-goers of all ages.  As DISCUS Director, I have to give my utmost thanks to all of the students from UTA and the other volunteers who will give their time over the next two weeks to ensure the success of this endeavor.  Already, it is a success, but my hope is that these efforts are the first steps in taken DISCUS nationwide.  If you have the chance, please come out and visit us at the Fair.  You can find a map to our booth here; we are on the northeast side of the fairgrounds, by the Pennsylvania-Lagow entrance. If you have already stopped by, then thank you.  I hope you enjoyed it.  We certainly have.
- Kevin Schug

Thanks to our Electronic Research Administration for our Website

On Monday, September 20th, 2010, we went live with the new look of the DISCUS website that you see now.  As DISCUS Director, I want to personally thank Rajat Mittal and her team, Aditya Mone, Duy Anh, and Anitha Royappan, from the U.T. Arlington Electronic Research Administration, for putting this together and getting it working.  Special thanks go to Aditya and Duy for working so diligently to get all of the lesson plan input and review functionality designed and implemented.  You guys are certainly very talented.  I think this is a one-of-a-kind website and program; it will no doubt be something new and very helpful to K-12 science teachers, students, and parents.  Many thanks also goes to the U.T. Arlington Office of the Provost and Office of Research for providing monetary support, in addition to that provided by the National Science Foudnation. 

Popular Science Almanac for Kids from BrainPOP.com

This book is developed and distributed by the many contributors behind BrainPOP.com.  It provides a wide ranging overview of many things cool and interesting in the world of science.  The book is mostly full of various information and science facts (Did you know...?), but it also has a bunch of activities and projects intersperseed throughout.  A plethora of graphics and pictures, make this text ideal and engaging for 9 - 12 year olds.  So many of the topics are very timely and up-to-date (pollution, cell phones, hurricanes...).  Thanks to Joy Tshibangu from U.T. Arlington for bringing this to our attention.

Science Wizardry for Kids by M. Kenda and P.S. Williams

Visit your local library or bookstore to pick up this compendium of fun and engaging science projects and experiments (multiple editions available, published by Barron's Educational Series). These activities appear to be best suited for elementary to early middle school-age students; they cover a wide range of subjects, including life science, geology, chemistry, and astronomy, among others.  The book also has a thoughtful introduction about safety and how to be a good scientist (Start keeping a science notebook!).  The text is easy to understand, and is accompanied by nice graphics that tell what to do and what it means.  You probably already have a lot of the materials at home that you need for these projects and experiments.  Thanks to Joy Tshibangu at U.T. Arlington for bringing this great book to our attention.

Meniscus.exe and other useful freeware

JABE Educational Software is a software package that has many stand-alone programs, which can be used to illustrate various physical concepts.  Importantly, on their site, there are also several free utilities available.  One of them is a graduated cylinder graphics program (meniscus.exe), which was used to make the pictures shown here.  This can be a great resource to have for making your own worksheets and lab procedures.  The software does not require a lot of disk space and is easy to use.  Other worksheets and freeware are also available.  Thanks to Jane Smith of Centennial High School in Frisco, TX for bringing this great resource to our attention.

I Can Buy CaCl2 in the Paint Department? Really?

Over the years I've learned I do not have to purchase everything I need from a chemical supplier. A classic lab every science teacher knows and loves is Chemistry in a Bag. In its simplest form, a spoonful of calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate are placed in opposite corners inside of a ziplock baggie. Then a small ketchup cup filled with about 1 cm of any pH indicator is gently slid into the baggie so it does not spill, the excess air is squeezed out and the bag is sealed. The student then topples over the ketchup cup and gently massages both the sodium bicarbonate and calcium chloride with the indicator and a chemical change occurs. This is a great lab where students have the opportunity to observe a color change, bubbles, hot and cold spots, and the bag inflate with a new gas produced as a result of the chemical change. There are so many variations of this lab on the internet because it can be easily modified for any grade level and tweeked to illustrate everything from conservation of mass, to gas stoichiometry and limiting reactants. It is also a 10 on the clean-up scale because the baggie just goes into the trash. Here's the kicker- where do you purchase your calcium chloride? Calcium chloride is readily available in any home improvement or big box store as the closet dehumidifier, DampRid. You can purchase a huge tub of it in the paint department or ironing board aisle for a quarter of the cost you would pay elsewhere. I also purchase red cabbage juice extract you mix up like a powdered drink from Educational Innovations. Keeping both of these on your shelves and learning how you can expand this classic lab to meet a variety of curriculum needs will give you a big bang for your buck. Do you have your own version of Chemistry in a Bag you would like to share or do you know of other chemicals you can purchase this easily? Share with us!

Think-Pair-Share

Think-Pair-Share is a versatile teaching strategy that emphasizes peer-learning in order to grasp new concepts.  Students who have been introduced to a new concept are given the opportunity to contemplate new material.  They then pair together with another student and share their understanding of the concept.  This strategy can be used during virtually any lesson, especially when the teacher senses that a little more time needs to be spent on a new concept which has just been introduced.  A great deal of research has shown that this is an effective technique; basic misunderstandings can be quickly revealed and resolved during the course of peer discussion.  An excellent, detailed overview of this technique can be found here.

SCIE 5307 Summer 2009

Many of the lesson plans which currently populate the DISCUS website have been developed by current and aspiring teachers.  Soon after the grant which funds DISCUS was awarded (summer 2009), Jennifer Cruze and I instructed a Science Education course at U.T. Arlington, where we had a fantastic bunch of teachers working to earn their MAIS degrees.  In addition to building a stronger foundation in chemistry, this group of students/teachers built an impressive set of lessons, which I hope that users of the DISCUS site will have the opportunity to share with their students.

EPA Water Science and Technology for Students and Teachers

Not the most visually stimulating site, but the EPA does provide a variety of activities to support learning of water quality and water management aspects of science.  These activities are tailored to different grade levels.  These materials would be great for supporting a multitude of environmental science and water chemistry lessons prepared by teachers.

Steve Spangler's 2010 Hands-On Science Boot Camp for Teachers

Steve Spangler Science is a great resource for teachers and parents.  A variety of informative activities and interesting materials are available through their website, and by purchase.  Now, Steve Spangler Science is offering a hands-on boot camp to paid registrants at several sites across the country, where they will teach you their secrets and provide you a whole new perspective on teaching science.  Registration costs $189 per person.

ACS ChemClub for High School Students

The American Chemical Society (ACS) encourages high school students across the country to form a ChemClub.  The goal of ChemClub is to provide opportunities and encourage students to experience chemistry beyond the classroom, get involved in community building, and learn about careers in chemistry.  Each ChemClub can have its own unique identity and focus.

National Chemistry Week Poster Contest for K-12

Each year, the American Chemical Society (ACS) sponsors a national poster contest for K-12 students.  This year, the theme is "Behind the Scenes with Chemistry".  This competition is a great way to encourage student to learn more about chemistry in everyday life.  The ACS also encourages using this event to set-up your own poster competitions in your community; the deadline for submissions to the national competition is Friday, October 19, 2010. National Chemistry Week is October 17-23, 2010.

Cabbage Juice Indicator

Prepare your own indicator and pH paper at home from red cabbage.  Test various liquids at home to see if they are an acid or a base.  Cabbage contains a chemical compound that naturally changes color when subjected to acidic and basic solutions.  Download the instructions for this activity here.  This activity was designed by one of our DISCUS student volunteers, Amanda Beckwith.  It is ideal for students in middle school.

Competition for Best Lesson Plan, $200 for 1st Place

Each year DISCUS will survey published lesson plans and award cash prizes to the authors of the best lessons.  The first place lesson will receive $200.  Second and third place prizes will also be awarded.  Build and submit your best lesson plan idea now for a chance to win!  More details coming soon.

Creatively Meeting the Challenge

We are two weeks into the new school year and no matter how long we have taught or how well we have planned in the past, we contiually have to change what we are doing to meet the new district and state standards. The student population is ever-changing and what worked for 1st period today may not work for 4th. We have become masters of predicting outcomes and sensing trouble on the way. The vision I have for my blog is to help you solve problems and actively lend support to teaching science. I hope to console you when your day hasn't been the best and inspire you with an idea or topic that has worked for me in the past. Despite the fact we are often tucked away in our own classrooms by ourselves, we are all in this together.

Extra Credit for Students at the Fair

Teachers:  Assign your students extra credit!  Have them come by our booth at the Texas State Fair and fill out a worksheet about what they learn.  Worksheets, available at the booth, are tailored to different grade levels and are stamped/signed to ensure validity.