Superpower Science
Meredith Dumez and Kady MacFarlane
Live Oak Public Libraries
macfarlanek@liveoakpl.org
Week 1:
Falcon and the Science of Flight
Experiments:
SHIELD helicarrier/hovercraft
http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/cd_hovercraft.php
Variables and Questions:
Does the size of air holes affect the hovercraft?
Does the size of the balloon affect the hovercraft?
Does the shape/size of the hovercraft disc affect the hovercraft?
Rubber Band Falcon Wings
http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubberband-Helicopters-step-by-step/
Variables and Questions:
Does the number of rubber bands affect the flying time/height?
Does the size or shape of the wings affect flying time/height?
Does the number of time you twist the blades affect flying time/height?
Week 2:
Big Hero 6 and the Science of Robotics
Experiement:
Drawbots:
http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/real-robots.html
Drawbots with motor on top and 3 markers make scattered designs, drawbots with 2 legs and motor as
third point of tripod make concentric circles resembling spirographs
Questions/Variables:
What does adding or subtracting markers do to the designs?
What does changing the height of the markers do to the designs?
What happens if 2 drawbots hit each other?
How else can we make the motor off center?
What happens if it’s on center?
How cool is this?
Week 3:
Superman and the Science of X-Ray Vision
Experiments:
Surprise Crayon Rubbings:
http://artfulparent.com/2011/05/crayon-rubbings-with-everyday-items.html
Questions/Variables:
Which items were the easiest to guess?
Which the hardest?
Does rubbing the crayon harder/lighter affect the detail in the rubbing?
Simulated X-Rays
http://www.exploratorium.edu/spectra_from_space/xray_activity.html
Questions/Variables:
What kind of shapes can you see most clearly?
Does the height at which you drop the sand make the image more/less clear?
What would happen if you shook the box while dropping sand?
Alternative Simulated X-Rays
http://www.teachpreschool.org/2014/04/xx-is-for-xray/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+TeachPreschool+(Teach+Pre
school)
Questions/Variables:
What kind of glue lines show up the best?
What color liquid makes the glue lines show up the best?
Week 4:
The Incredible Hulk and the Science of Super Strength
Experiments:
Strong Sand:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/strong-sand
Questions/Variables:
What’s the least amount of sand the tube can have for the stick not to go through the paper?
Does it work better or worse with wet sand? (use cling wrap with wet sand instead of tissue paper)
Walking on Raw Eggs:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/walking-on-eggshells
Questions/variables:
What happens if you step on one egg only?
How few eggs in a carton can you stand on?
What arrangement do the eggs need to be in?
Can you still walk on the eggs if you put a board on top of them first?
How many books does it take to break a carton of eggs?
Week 5:
The Invisible Woman and the Science of Levitation
Experiments:
Anti-Gravity machine:
http://weirdsciencekids.com/MakeAntiGravityMachine.html
Questions/Variables:
How many books can you stack before the funnels don’t roll upwards?
Try the experiment with smaller funnels, do they stop moving at a different point than the larger ones?
Static Flyer:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/static-flyer-flying-bag
Questions/Variables:
How long can you keep the plastic band in the air?
What happens if you only rub the cotton towel on the balloon and not the plastic band?
What else can you use to levitate the plastic band?
Levitating Pencil:
http://www.hackolog.com/2011/03/11/showcase-of-magnetic-levitation/
Questions/Variables:
Does adding/subtracting magnets affect the height of levitation?
What else can you levitate using magnets?
How much pressure does in take the push the pencil straight down? To the side?
Week 6:
Magneto and the Science of Magnets
Experiments:
Magnetic slime:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Magnetic-Slime/
Questions/Variables:
Do all magnets work on the slime? Why/why not?
DIY Wooly Willy Faces:
http://www.thejoysofboys.com/move-over-wooly-willy-make-your-own-fuzzy-face-plates/(kids get
choice of drawing a face to use or having library staff take/print picture of their face)
Questions/Variables:
Why do the pipe cleaner pieces move around?
Do all magnets work on our Wooly Willy faces? Why/Why not?
Week 7:
Storm and the Science of Weather
Experiments:
Tornado in a Jar:
http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/halloween-tornado-bottle-weather-science-saturday-science-bloghop/
Questions/Variables:
Does using hot/cold water make a difference in the speed/shape of funnel etc…?
What happens in the center of the funnel?
Make Lightening
http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/experiments.htm
Questions/Variables:
What can you touch the pan with (besides your finger) to create the shock/lightening?
Week 8:
Hawkeye and the Science of Sound
Experiments:
Demonstrate Sound Waves with Slinky:
http://www.smm.org/sound/nocss/activity/2b.htm
Questions/Variables:
Does changing the force behind the push make the wave travel faster?
What happens if you put a piece of paper between two of the coils halfway down the slinky?
Personal Bells:
http://www.kcedventures.com/blog/the-science-of-sound-waves-an-awesome-experiment-for-kids
Questions/Variables:
Try using a larger/smaller spoon, how does that affect the sound?
Try making the yarn that the sound waves travel shorter/longer, how does that affect the sound?
How far away from your ears can you put your fingers and still hear the gong?
Does the force with which you hit the spoon make the sound louder/quieter?
Build a Tonoscope:
http://mahinterncity.tumblr.com/post/58797160792/making-sound-waves-visible-diy-tonoscope
(Use powdered tempra paint instead of sand and have wet paper on hand to make sound wave
bookmarks for the kids to take home)
Questions/Variables:
What happens if you just blow into the pipe, making no sound?
Can changing your pitch make different patterns?
What pattern does the tonoscope make if you sing your favorite song? Talk? Scream? Whisper?
Week 9:
Elastigirl and the Science of Elasticity
Experiments:
Make a catapult:
http://makeitatyourlibrary.org/outside-play/diy-viking-catapult-bamboo-skewers#.VQSOVuNdWVM
http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2013/5/31/easy-marshmallow-catapults-summer-fun-for-kids.html
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/28871/catapult-for-kids-to-make
Questions/Variables:
Which type of catapult works best? Why?
Does the length/tightness of rubber bands make a difference?
Can you hit a target?
Bouncy Balls:
http://www.the36thavenue.com/how-to-make-a-bouncy-ball/
Questions/Variables:
How does this resemble the magnetic slime we made earlier in the summer? How is it different?
How high can you bounce a ball?
How long does the ball hold its shape if you don’t touch it?
Does making the ball bigger or smaller affect the height of the bounce you can get?