Chocolate Crystal Concoctions
Act like an experimental chocolatier and determine how different melting and cooling procedures impact the shine, hardness, and texture of finished chocolate.
Make a Model Eardrum to Detect Sound Waves
Create a model eardrum to visualize sound vibrations, and then use a smartphone to identify your model’s natural frequencies.
Make a Wire Critter That Can Walk on Water
Learn how insects have inspired engineers to make a robot that walks on the surface of water. Design your own water-walking critter using thin wire, and test its effectiveness: how many paperclips can it hold up using surface tension?
Make a Model of a Home Made From Shipping Containers
Watch an interview with a couple who built a home from shipping containers. Then, design and construct a scale model of a unique shipping container home using printed templates, and estimate the cost of flooring and paint based on model dimensions.
Use Clues to Solve an Ice Mystery
Use the physical characteristics of ice to determine where and how several mystery samples could have been frozen.
Test the Finger Wrinkle Hypothesis
Perform an experiment to determine whether smooth or wrinkled fingers are better at holding wet objects. The experiment requires only a water bottle, paperclip, and plastic ruler.
Downloads: Video, student data sheet, illustrated instructions
Microorganisms on the Move
In this activity, students will learn how to prepare deep well slides for observing two types of microorganisms called Paramecium (a group of protozoa, or single-celled organisms, which move with cilia, so they are called “ciliates”) and Euglena (microorganisms which move with flagella, so they are known as “flagellates”).
Pinhole Viewer
By building their own pinhole camera, students will learn how cameras, telescopes, and their own eyes use light in similar ways.
Delicious Smelling Chemistry
Use household materials to investigate and explore your ability to smell an odor, then compare and contrast results to determine if some individuals have a better sense of smell than others. Observe the Maillard reaction and how different odor molecules are released into the air.
Flower Anatomy
In this activity, students will discuss the various methods by which pollination can occur in flowers or plants. Students will dissect and identify the different parts of a flower, hypothesize the function of each part, and discuss the importance or relevance of each part to pollination.