Need science experiment ideas for the summer

[conuly]

Also, art projects that aren't all either "Uh, here are some supplies, get messy" or "These are the carefully cut out parts, please make yours exactly like mine". Gosh, I hate the latter. I want all teachers of young children to memorize the phrase "it's the process, not the product" and apply it religiously.

Anyway, trying to do some fun and lightly educational things over the summer to make up for forcing Eva to do - gasp! - math every day. (The math is not optional.)

Comments

[alatefeline]

There are a lot of techniques for clay that require teaching/learning a specific skill, but leave the product open to decide. Coil building is an easy place to start, and can be done with other moldable products than actual clay.

[archangelbeth]

Art projects... Crochet or knitting? (Or, y'know, both, and go with whatever "clicks.") One does not actually have to memorize a lot of lingo to make scarves and squares to form "afghan-quilts." (I can't follow the patterns. I spent all my "weird abbreviation" skill points on GURPS and In Nomine. DX, FP, HP, Move, M/VH... Yes, I can tell you what those are. But somewhere around the abbreviations for double stitch and slip stitch, my mind glazes over and I make another scarf or something with no pattern.)

[conuly]

I could have my mom teach them crochet. That's always useful, and we could use up some of our endless hoards of yarn.

[dine]

make apple head dolls? carving the face and seeing how it turns out once dried is cool, and then dressing it can be lots of fun. basic info on how to are online. this one takes some time for the carved apple to dry/cure, so its not instant gratification, but it might be a nice change from the usual

[conuly]

I would do that, but I have a fear of inviting bugs into my home via that method :(

[kengr]

What level of "science" are we talking about? Crystal growing is an all ages thing, you just adjust *what* you are growing crystals on.

Sugar crystals (rock candy) are always popular. :-)

Also, what level of math is being studied. I may have a few tips on how to make it more interesting.

[conuly]

Sixth grade math. We homeschool, so we're just finishing up our curriculum. Unfortunately, we're about two months behind where we ought to be due to my mother's cancer. Fortunately, summer is two months long!

[used_songs]

I used to teach robotics to middle schoolers and they enjoyed learning some basic electronics. You can pick up the materials fairly cheaply at a hardware/home improvement store and there are lots of tutorials online.

The most popular project I've done with kids is the leaf blower powered hovercraft - https://sciencebob.com/build-a-hovercraft-you-can-ride/

Arduinos are fun - https://www.arduino.cc/ - although then you would be spending more money. However, you can do a lot with an arduino.

Also from things I have done with middle schoolers that were popular:

Book making: http://www.makingbooks.com/freeprojects.shtml

Making backpacks: http://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2015/3/27/easy-peasy-drawstring-backpack-free-sewing-tutorial

[conuly]

Robots, why didn't I think of that?

art idea

[redbird]

I haven't tried this one, I ran across it in a mystery novel, and the author said it went back to the Surrealists. Take some blank pieces of white paper. Hold them near a flame, so parts of the paper turn brown. Use those random-ish shapes as the basis for a drawing on that sheet of paper. In the story, the teacher was working with students around Eva's age, and charred the paper ahead of time rather than having them do their own. She used matches, but a Bic lighter would also work, I think.

This definitely feels like an "it's the process" thing, and you could even have the kids prepare their own sheets of paper, and throw in a bit of a science lesson on how the lower temperature colors the paper but doesn't set it on fire.

Re: art idea

[conuly]

That's not a half bad idea. Come to think, we could do lemon juice messages as well. (I say, because I have a cryptography book here on my desk.)

Re: art idea

[alchemia]

not exactly similar, but reminded me of 'exquiste corpse'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exquisite_corpse

https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/max-ernst-levade-the-fugitive

[james]

You could make oobleck!

[gingicat]

For math, you can generally build word problems into your day. One way to do this is to multiply or divide recipe amounts. Does she like to cook?

And I find myself needing to calculate percentages and do estimations all the time, but that's fifth grade math. Hmm. Will consider.

[conuly]

No, we're going to keep plugging away at her textbook until we complete it.

[zesty_pinto]

Outdoors okay? Bottle rockets. Nothing but bottle rockets.

Mentos and diet coke? Baking soda and vinegar? pressurized CO2? Lots to go with in terms of figuring out how to make these babies run. Plus you might be able to experiment on a particular formula to figure out how to maximize the results (chemistry + physics + math because it's exactly rocket science).

Maybe you can have her raise a tadpole? You can add chemistry to it since aquaria is all about understanding chemistry.

You can visit a hardware store, get some wire, batteries, and lights or whatnot and teach her how circuits work too.

Although this is high school level and you live in NYC, if you can get access to an area below that doesn't see much traffic, then you can see if she can pull off some "drop" experiments to see how air resistance works. If it's a really clear area, then I'd even consider showing her how to safely drop an egg to the ground.

In terms of art projects, I remember a math teacher once showing me tessellations. I hated it as a kid, but if she's creative then maybe she can see about making her own patterns.

You could also "make your own Mad covers" in terms of art projects where you accordion the pieces into one image and then have her figure out how to draw something else out of it. Just remember to mark where you want the things put together since I can see this being very confusing.

[conuly]

Bottle rockets might not be legal in NYC, in fact, I'm fairly certain nothing explosive is. But mentos and diet coke, yes.

Tessellations now, that's art and math.

[larryhammer]

Don't have a lot to offer here: we're still at the make-oobleck-and-play-with-it stage (with a side order of adjusting adding a little more starch or water to see what happens) and the color-or-paint-things-as-big-scribbles stage.

[conuly]

I wish we were out of the oobleck stage. (Also the goo stage. I haven't consistently been able to wash my hair in months, they keep using my shampoo to make goo!)

[siderea]

You know how you hate art projects of the form "These are the carefully cut out parts, please make yours exactly like mine"?

I feel exactly that way about people treating arts and crafts as activity projects. I think "it's the process, not the product" applies to the craft itself, too.

I'd recommend that if you, personally, have an art or craft that you enjoy doing and have some knowledge of, then you should share that with the girls. Or if you, personally, have an art or craft that you've always wanted to learn, here's an opportunity to learn it along side the girls.

And if you don't, maybe find somebody who does, who is doing something the girls would enjoy, and have them instruct – and induct – the girls in that?

Because anything else winds up feeling like "build a house out of popsicle sticks", which, to me at least, felt like the simalacrum of art or craft: I was keenly aware as a child that this wasn't giving me access to skills and abilities and expressive creative activities I would have enjoyed, it was in lieu of those things, and I was enormously bitter about those sorts of "art projects".

Things I enjoyed involved didactic instruction that empowered me to use new skills to go express myself creatively.

Gotta run, ride here. Could say more if you're interested.

I should probably feel the same way about "science projects".

[conuly]

I should probably feel the same way about "science projects".

I'm schlepping around extra kids. I think Eva and her friends just want to see things explode, but without actual explosions or danger.

[mindstalk]

"anyone can draw [simplified cartoons]"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TXEZ4tP06c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj3ZnKlHqxI

[conuly]

Thanks :)

[mindstalk]

Do light objects fall slower than heavy ones?

How fast do objects fall with distance?

Who can make the best paper airplane?

"Here's a microscope and some tap water, and some water from the park pond. Have fun."

Bacterial swab of various surfaces and culture. Which surfaces are filthiest?

Does a McDonald's burger go bad, or mysteriously repel life? If the latter, is it laden with preservatives, or just drying out quickly?

[conuly]

Thanks :)

[smile_n_cuddle]

I don't know if she's into this, but I enjoy making things with mason jars :)

1) I put dirt at the bottom, then cracked an egg. I put more dirt in the egg along with some wheatgrass from the store - so it was like a teeny planter. Then I put the egg/planter into the jar, and tied a ribbon at the top.

Here are some other things I've either made or want to make:
http://cdn.decoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Mason-jars-are-a-popular-choice-as-wall-planters.jpg

http://blog.freepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/garden5s.jpg

http://10774-presscdn-0-33.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/28-ohsoverypretty.jpg

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/26761-how-to-make-eggshell-planters

http://www.cheapskatedatebrigade.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Green-Renaissance-Eggs.jpg



Now I feel all inspired and want to do them myself! Haha!!!

[fred_mouse]

science: microwave meringues?

craft - piece of hessian, and learn some basic embroidery stitches?

[brokenallbroken]

I know I'm very late to the party, but art+math=Vi Hart.

[conuly]

Trust me, you're not late! I've yet to integrate all these great ideas until a summer plan!

[bonesofbirdwings]

There's an art form called quilling that I do a lot of. (It's like, paper filigree - you curl paper with these certain tools.) With the smaller widths, it's probably too much fine motor coordination, but with 1/4 inch wide paper it's probably just about right for kids between 7-11. The supplies are also really cheap and there are "patterns" you can do, but there's also room for improvisation.

Quilling for kids/basic instructions

One of my online quilling stores (in case you want to buy supplies, but the instructions in the previous link work just as well.)

[conuly]

Wow, thanks. I hadn't heard of this at all :)

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

How about some species counts in your neighborhood - plants, insects, birds, other animals? Perhaps also some weather tracking and prediction - that's always useful. You live close enough to the sea to make tide calculations relevant, and that leads straight into the fascinating reasons why the tide does what it does at any given time - it might be a more accessible intro to astronomy than stargazing, which is difficult in a city.

Sometimes "here are some supplies; explore and enjoy them" is appropriate. Mess happens, but making a mess is not the goal - and not all children enjoy mess; many actively hate it. It's possible to enjoy making art one's own way without making a mess, and that is an important skill to learn.

Sometimes making art one's own way is not the goal. Sometimes the goal is to learn how to make a specific thing, and/or to learn specific techniques for the making of things. It's fine to be the free, creative spirit, but without technique, that quickly grows frustrating in its limitations. The process of following instructions carefully to achieve results just like the model is at least as important as the process of randomly playing around without having any result in mind.

[conuly]

It's fine to be the free, creative spirit, but without technique, that quickly grows frustrating in its limitations.

And I'm often frustrated that nobody taught me how to draw.

But there's a difference between that and endless collages where everythign has to be just so.