Activities

LUNCH WITH A SCIENTIST

Lunch-with-a-Scientist (LWAS) partners eight K-12 students with a Fellow during the students regular lunch period.  This program teaches simple scientific principles in a manner that engages students of all academic levels, but especially engages lower-achieving students.  While the students eat, the Fellow explains the science experiment that will be conducted.  Examples include volcanos, lemon batteries, solar energy, slime, geology, states of matter, and plants.  After lunch is done, the Fellow and students work through the experiment.  Students sacrifice the short recess associated with lunch willingly.  Based on rotating lunchs, a Fellow can work with as many as four groups of students in one day.  Teachers are also invited.

Students see LWAS as a reward that can be earned. They are eager to participate in the program.  Classroom behavior improves in some students in order to participate. Fellows see it as a mechanism to impact a greater number of students (identified in the report as secondary partners).  Having teachers participate raises their level of comfort with these activities. 

Oftentimes, the materials necessary are available at local grocery stores.  In some cases, commercially available science kits are used.

Overview:  Lunch with a Scientist program enables small groups of students to interact with a scientist within an informal setting.

Time breakdown:  Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes. Most schools allow students thirty minute lunch periods. The first 15 minutes the students eat lunch while the scientist welcomes the students and introduces their self.  Following the introduction, a short discussion of the topic or a short book is read.   Hands-on investigations are carried out for the final 15 minutes.

Program set-up:  School willing to participate. Attached are example letters used to introduce the program and thank schools for allowing the scientists to visit with students. One to two scientists recruited to interact with students. Simple, short investigation materials and supplies for each student to participate. Samples are attached. Teachers sign up students according to a given schedule of scientist availability. Sample schedule attached. Place on school campus to interact with students. This could be in the lunchroom or another designated place.

Suggested Books for activities:

The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book, Tom Robinson, ISBN#1-58062-557-6
Chemical Reactions, p. 34-35
What Makes Things Fizzy?, p. 38-39  
Clean & Shiny Pennies, p. 40-41
Mini Volcano, p. 78

Pop Bottle Science, Blasts, Bang, Twists & Other Reactions, Lynn Brunelle, ISBN#13: 978-0-7611-2980-6
Dancing Raisins, p. 51

Science in a Box, Grades 4-6, The Mailbox, ISBN#1-56234-495-1
Simple Circuits, p. 40
Gravity, p. 132

Science in a Bag, Sandra Markle, ISBN# 0-590-45590-7
Mysterious Disappearance, p. 50

Take It to Your Seat, Science Centers, Grades 1-2, Jo Ellen Moore,  ISBN#1-55799-961-9
Fur, Feathers, Scales, p. 59
Camouflage, p. 73
Parts of a Plant, p. 89
Sun, Earth, Moon, p. 139
Energy, p. 151

Science in a Bottle, Sandra Markle, ISBN#0-590-47595-9

Outdoor Science Adventures, Melvin Berger, ISBN#0-590-46855-3

Make it Work! Space, The Hands-On Approach to Science, David Glover, ISBN#1-882210-49-2

Super Science Investigations, Grades 3-5, The Mailbox, ISBN#1-56234-593-1

Science in a Box, Grades 2-3, The Mailbox, ISBN#1-56234-657-1

Science in a Box, Grades 4-6, The Mailbox, ISBN#1-56234-495-1

Hands-On Earth Science for Elementary Grades, Phil Parratore, ISBN#0-88724-649-4

Science Tub Topics, Debra Morton & Elizabeth Stover, ISBN#1-57471-953-X

Science, 23 Ready-To-Go Lesson Plans, Grade 3, The Mailbox, ISBN# 1-56234-244-4

Shoe Box Learning Center, Time & Measurement, Pamela Chanko, ISBN# 0-439-53797-5

Super Science Investigations, Grades 1-3, The Mailbox, ISBN# 13: 978-156234546-4

Bottle Biology, Mrill Ingram, ISBN# 0-8403-8601-X

Science, 23 Ready-to-Go Lesson Plans, Grade 1, The Mailbox, ISBN#13: 978-156234242-5

Magical Science, Magic Tricks for Young Scientists, Eric Ladizinsky, ISBN# 1-56565-026-3

Sample School Letters:

Johnson Teachers-

Lunch with a Scientist begins at Johnson the week of October 2. Two TAMU graduate students from the Chemistry department will conduct this program at lunch on Tuesdays and on Wednesdays for the first four weeks of October. The scientists are participating in the GK-12 Grant through the National Science Foundation.

What is lunch with a scientist? It is an opportunity to eat lunch with a chemistry graduate student from Texas A & M University. The graduate student will discuss a science concept with the Johnson students in a small group setting. Then, when the kids are finished eating their lunch, the scientist will lead the students through 10-15 minutes of a simple science investigation. The topics of study are Solar Energy, Chemical Reactions, and Volcanoes.

What do you have to do as a teacher? Supply a list of names of students who would like to participate. We have 158 total slots for Johnson students. On the day your students are scheduled for lunch, try to make sure they go to lunch on time, as the schedule is tight. The students will be sent back to you after lunch. If you have any questions, please contact me and I will fill you in as best as I am able. Let Science Rock!!

Thanks,

Christi Everett, GK-12 Grant Coordinator

Ammon Pickett & Karlos Moreno,
TAMU Graduate Students w/ GK-12

Dear Johnson Teachers-

Thank you for allowing the Lunch with a Scientist program to visit Johnson. Our two TAMU graduate students from the Chemistry department enjoyed their time with the students on Tuesdays and on Wednesdays for October.

Due to the great cooperation from your staff, we were able to serve approximately 158 Johnson students. This included grades Kindergarten through Fifth grade. Wow! This would not have been possible with out all of your support.

Where will lunch with a scientist go next? Due to such success at Johnson, the program has been requested to visit Neal Elementary next. We will begin the program with Neal students in November.

As the program moves forward, I would like to ask for feedback from the Johnson faculty about the Lunch with a Scientist program. If you have any comments, concerns or questions please forward them to me. Your feedback will enable us to reach even greater levels of success in the future. Thank you again for allowing us to visit your campus. Let Science Rock!!

Thanks,

Christi Everett, GK-12 Grant Coordinator

Ammon Pickett & Karlos Moreno,
TAMU Graduate Students w/ GK-12

Sample Schedule:

Activities:

Land Mass Formation Demonstration

Submitted by Karlos Moreno 06-07 Fellow
Grade Level: K - 6
Discussion:
This demonstration is a simple illustration of how scientists believe the earth's landmasses were formed. The boiling wax and water represent the earth in its molten form.
Materials:
Hot plate
Small pan
Water
Wax (from candles is okay)
Procedure:
Boil water and about 2 oz. of wax in the pan. When the wax is completely melted explain to the class that this is what the earth was like about 5 billion years ago.
Put the pan in a safe place and allow the students to observe it as it cools. What happens? (As it cools and hardens, the wax floats to the top.) Tell the children that the hardened wax represents the earth's crust.
Follow-Up Discussion:
Scientists theorize that as the planet cooled the less dense rock floated to the top and hardened, forming the earth's crust. The inner parts of the earth, the mantle and core are liquid as is the water in this demonstration.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLIME
Mr. Scow’s 5th grade class
Submitted by Dr. Karen McNeal 06-07 Fellow

Objective:
In this lab we are going to make slime!  This task should help you understand states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) since you will start with a liquid and end up with a slimy solid (no gasses involved here).  It should also help you think ahead about solutions and mixtures for next week.

Safety Concerns: 
DO NOT eat the slime. Be sure to keep your hair pulled back as getting slime out of hair is not fun.  Also, keep your clothing away from the food coloring as it may stain your clothes.  Remember to follow directions and select one person from your pair to get materials (like water from the sink). If you are allergic to laundry powder get plastic gloves from the teacher.

Needed Supplies:
One bottle of white craft glue (per two person pairs)
Two plastic or glass bowls
Food coloring
Mixing spatula
Water
Teaspoon or balance
Measuring cup or graduated cylinder or beaker
Powdered Laundry Booster
Resealable plastic bag (one per person)

SLIME DIRECTIONS:

1).  Pour all of the glue from one of the glue bottle into a bowl.  Fill the empty glue bottle with water and add it to the bowl.  Stir the mixture with the spatula.  Add a few drops of food coloring.

2).  In the empty bowl, pour one cup (240mL) of distilled water in the bowl and add 3-4 teaspoons (15-20g) of the laundry booster.  Mix it together well.

3).  Slowly add the glue mixture you made in step 1 to the laundry solution you made in step 2, stirring as you do so.  Place the thick slime that forms in you hand knead until it feels dry.  (There will be extra water in the bowl).  It will be wet, stringy. And messy at first, the more you play with it the more it mixes together and becomes firmer and less sticky. 

4).  Divide the slime in half.  Put each half in a zip lock bag.  Each person in the two partner pairs will take one bag home.

HOW DOES IT WORK??

The reaction that makes the slime work is the bonding of polyvinylacetate (PVAC) molecules in the glue to the laundry booster (sodium tetraborate).  The molecules are polymers and consist of long chains, which is why glue is viscous (or slow flowing).  Once the laundry booster is added and the molecules link to the PVAC molecules, it becomes even more viscous.  The amount of attachment of the PVAC molecules depends in part on the concentration of the laundry booster. 

How a battery works

Submitted by Karlos Moreno 06-07 Fellow
Items needed per group:

            4-5 large Limes/Lemons or 2-3 Large Potatoes
50 mL Salt
50 mL Sugar
500 mL Deionized (DI) Water
150 mL Tap Water
10 Copper wire strips (~ 4 cm long); Can be reused multiple times
10 Galvanized Nails; Can be reused twice
8 sets of clamps (Alligator Clips)
4 plastic cups
1 Battery (9V)
LED (1.7V)

Key Points:

• Electricity powers a battery by the difference between positive and negative charge.
• Identified electricity as a flow of electrons.
• Attempt to prove fruit and vegetables can be used to light an LED.  Asked for a hypothesis from the students.
• Connect the limes in series and connecting the LED to one end and tapping the other to make the light flicker.  (Lights need to be off.  Sometimes battery needed to be connected to provide more energy.)
• Identified how this works.  What does the lime contain?  Juice.  What is juice made up of?  Water, salt and sugar.
• Tested new set of hypotheses about which of the three causes the limes to do this.
• MUST USE DI WATER & have the CLIPS, NAILS and WIRES or the next set of experiments will NOT work.
• Using one cup per test (1 nail, 1 copper wire, battery, LED, 2 clips, DI water), we find that salt is able to light the LED.
• Discuss that salt has positive & negative charges in water.  This is how it works.

Adjustments for grade levels:

• For younger students I was able to replace the word ‘charge’ for ‘particle’ and the students were able to understand.
• If the students haven’t been exposed to hypothesis yet, I used guess instead.
• For the older students I also tested tap water (time permitting), to show them that tap water also has charges in it, but is mostly good for them in the quantities present.

GK-12 Lunch with a Scientist Activity:
Film Container Rockets
Submitted by Kendra Avery 06-07 Fellow

Materials Required:
Empty plastic film containers (these can be obtained at no charge from places that develop film)
Antacid tablets
Vinegar
Optional: paper and tape to decorate rockets, alternative “fuel” sources such as water, soda, orange juice etc.

Procedure:
Decorate the film containers to look like rockets if desired using thin sheets of paper. Make a cone for the top and a cylinder for the body and a few small fins to attach to the body.
Allow the kids to experiment with different amounts of antacid tablet and different amounts and types of “fuel”.
Monitor the relative launch heights of each different scenario.
Usually ¼ of a tablet in a few milliliters of water works best. Make sure that the film canisters form a good seal before starting the experiment.
Have the kids wear safety glasses if they are available.

Discussion topics:
Use this as an opportunity to discuss the scientific fields of Chemistry and Physics.
This is also a good opportunity to enforce good lab safety practices, even when the lab is outside.
Chemical reactions- What is causing the rockets to launch? What gas is being formed during the reaction process?
Volume- Does the ratio of volume of water to volume of air make a difference?
Pressure- What is actually causing the rocket to launch?
Force- What are the main forces at work here?
Gravity- How does gravity affect the launch height?
Air Resistance- Do the rockets with certain kinds of fins go higher than others? How could we improve air resistance?
Variables vs. Controls- What are the variables and the controls in each experiment?

Helpful Information:
Doing all of these variations isn’t possible over one lunch break period. Choose one aspect to focus on during each lunch break period.
You can adjust the discussion topics based on the grade level. For example second and third graders can discuss a chemical reaction because they can see the bubbles being formed and can discuss volume, but topics like air resistance and competing forces might be better left to the older students.
I wouldn’t recommend this activity for younger students since they tend to lose focus and have trouble with concepts like variables and controls.

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