Radon

Posted on by mysciencelessons

January is National Radon Action Month. Somerset and Morris County are two of many counties in NJ that have high levels of naturally occurring Radon.

Radon is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Radon can cause lung cancer. Without a test, there is no way to know if you have Radon in your home. 

Please take 5 minutes to find out the answers to the following questions:

     

  • Has your home ever been tested for Radon? If so, when was the last test
  • Does your home have a radon vent? If so, where is it?
  • How long has your family lived in your home? Many home sales have Radon tests done now, but mostly in the last 20 years or so.

For more information about Radon or how to test for Radon, please see the following website from the EPA: http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html

Atomic Bomb

Posted on by mysciencelessons

Whenever we talk about the atom, the topic of the atomic bomb comes up. This year, I spent a few days talking about it and showed some video clips as well. We read Einstein’s letter to FDR, as well as his response. Reading the letters was a great activity, we talked about letter writing, formal vs friendly, typing, zip codes, WW2, the Manhattan Project, the Cold War, and the kids were really interested.  I ended with two video clips: one was “Duck and Cover” and the other was a graphic representation of all the bombs that have been detonated starting with the Trinity Test.

Other resources:

  • Atomic Bomb Testing – NY Times Photos
  • Trinity Test - video clip History Channel
  • “Fat Man Little Boy” video clip
  • Manhattan Project
  • Einstein’s letter to Roosevelt
  • Einstein and the atomic bomb video clip
  • 50 years – Trinity Test

    • Chromatography

    Posted on by mysciencelessons

    Simple lab using markers, water, jelly jar, and coffee filter paper. (You can use rubbing alcohol instead of water, results are similar). Shows how you can physically separate a mixture, as well as demonstrate capillary action.

    Hot and Cold Water: Mixing

    Posted on by mysciencelessons

    Tried this demonstration at home before I try it in the classroom. It shows how hot and cold water can both mix or not mix together.  I used blue food coloring for cold water and yellow food coloring for hot water (didn’t have red handy at home, but will use red at school).  It also demonstrates a great surface tension trick with the upside down jar of water and a playing card. I use playing cards b/c the waxy surface works best for either demo. (I used old glass jelly jars, we go through a  lot of jelly at my house. I run them in the dishwasher and save them for science experiments.)

    For this demo, I am not going to tell the kids that I am using cold and hot water. Want to see if they can figure it out :) .

    When the cold blue water is on the top, and the hot yellow water in on the bottom, as soon as you pull the card away, they mix and the water turns green in both jars. (purple if you use red). When the cold water is on the bottom, and the hot water is on the top, when you take the card away, it does NOT mix like before. there may be a small zone of mixing where the two meet. Great discussion about density and the effects of temperature on the movement of the water particles.

    It is a pretty cool trick and I think the kids will love it when they see it, only b/c it is so unexpected for them :) .

    For more information, check out this website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/watertrick.html

    Atomic Bomb Testing

    Posted on by mysciencelessons

    Saw this slide and audio presentation about Atomic Bomb testing in the NY Times. I will be teaching my atomic unit soon and love finding different resources to add to my lessons.

    This is a first person account by George Yoshitake, now 82, and his work as a camera man during atomic testing.

    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/14/science/20100914_atom.html?ref=science