At Science at Home, we
present several science projects that parents can do
with their children as a family experience. Science
is all around us, and families can have a great time
looking at nature.
Seeds
In November, we
celebrate Thanksgiving and the harvest. In the
natural world, the growing season is over, and many
plants have gone to seed.
Take a walk in your neighborhood and find as many
different kinds of seeds as you can. They might be
at the tips of stalks of grass, in pinecones, among
the petals of a flower, or inside a fruit.
Then look around your kitchen to find examples of
seeds that might be there. Here are a few hints. One
kind of seed tastes really good with jelly in a
sandwich. Another kind makes the bread for that
sandwich. Still others might be in your breakfast
cereal. If you make some brownies, you might add a
few of these seeds to the batter.
If you want to learn more about seeds, here are some
great websites.
What's in a rice grain and how does it grow?
http://www.riceweb.org/Plant.htm
For a detailed look at a seed:
http://www.leubner.ch/anatomy.html
http://www.flash.net/~ben8403/seedanat.html
Dew, frost, rain, and
snow
If you fill a glass with
water and ice and leave it on the table, before long
water drops will appear on the side of the glass.
The glass isn't leaking. The water actually comes
out of the air.
The air around us contains water vapor. The warm
room air can hold more water than cold air around
the cold glass so the water in the air becomes
liquid and coats the glass. We call this
condensation.
Condensation also happens outside. On your way to
school in the morning, you might see dew on the
grass or, if it is cold enough, frost.
Condensation can also happen way up in the air. The
water may coat a tiny dust particle. When enough
water has attached to the dust particle, a drop of
water forms and may fall to the ground as rain or,
if it's cold enough, as snow.
Keep your eye open for condensed water outside. Look
for the dew or frost or rain, and think about the
water on the side of your glass.
If you want to learn more about water vapor, here
are some great websites.
To follow the water cycle from rain to rivers and
back again:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclegraphichi.html
What makes it rain?
http://www.kesgrave.suffolk.sch.uk/Curric/geog/rain.html
How does dew form:
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/jul2000/962721935.Ph.r.html
A more detailed explanation of how dew and frost
form:
http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~cortinas/1014/l12_2.html
What Can We See in
Winter?
Without the cover of leaves, there is a lot that can
be seen now. First, the bark on the trees can be
seen more clearly. And the patterns made by the
growth of the branches are more apparent. Both of
these give good clues to what kind of tree it is.
Second, things in the branches can be seen now: bird
and squirrel nests and mistletoe. Also a different
set of plants are more visible now. These include
ferns, mosses, and liverworts. All of these thrive
in the cool wet conditions of a Bay Area winter.
What’s New in
February?
By February, much of the
Bay Area has come out of its winter dormancy.
Flowers are blooming. Trees are in bud. Leaves are
bright green with new growth. Take some time to walk
around your yard or the campus and look for signs of
new growth.
Birds
Although Castro Valley
is a fairly developed area, lots of wild animals
also live here. Birds are the most common, and an
amazing number of different kinds are all around us.
Look at the birds around your neighborhood and
Proctor School. See how many kinds you can find.
You'll be surprised.
Rollie-Pollies
Everyone likes to play
with rollie-pollies (also known as sowbugs or
pillbugs). Although they are called “bugs,” they are
actually crustaceans and more closely related to
shrimp and crayfish than to insects. Crustaceans
breathe through gills (not lungs like us) and need
water. They have a hard exoskeleton of flexible
plates and look like tiny armadillos. Surprisingly,
they live 2–5 years! And they are good parents too.
These harmless little creatures were around before
the dinosaurs, and they’re still with us today. Look
for some rollie-pollies and keep an eye open for
other small bugs too.
