Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge,from Quarry Books, via Edelweiss, for review purposes on this blog, and from the author for blog posting (experiment). No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.
52 Creative Hands-On Projects for Exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math
From one of our favorite authors. comes another great lab science book for kids!
Synopsis:
STEAM Lab for Kids is an art-forward doorway to science, math, technology and engineering.
While many aspiring artists don't necessarily identify with STEM subjects, and many young inventors don’t see the need for art, one is essential to the other. Revealing this connection and encouraging kids to explore it fills hungry minds with tools essential to problem solving and creative thinking.
Each of the projects in this book is designed to demonstrate that the deeper you look into art, the more engineering and math you’ll find. There’s a science to great art. From graphite circuit comic books to edible stained glass, young engineers and artists alike will find inspiration.
Review:
This is such a FUN book, like all the lab books from Liz! i love that my 11 year old can do most of these experiments with no help, and the rest are just mild supervision (Safety Tips and hints are included on all of the labs)! As we discussed earlier in the week with VentureGirls, it is SO important for kids to be able to try things themselves, and not have adults doing the work (and learning) for them! The book covers science, technology, engineering, art, and math, naturally, with the lessons evenly spaced out. Out of the 52 experiments, Miss Grace has done about half, in the course of last year or this year's science class, but the rest are different and she can't wait to make them all!
As she's doing a varied science curriculum this year, I know we'll finish all the experiments in the book! I'm always impressed with how Liz tries to keep the needed items to what you can find locally, or can easily order off the internet. This would be a super book to give the kids at the beginning of Summer vacation, along with a basket of the needed items, and let them, make (and learn) away! And if they get really good at them, they might even decide to start a business, and earn some money over the summer too, adding some of the entrepreneurship to the mix as well! But no matter what, they'll have fun AND be learning!
Project:
Lab 4: Tie-Dyed Fidget Spinners
I love this project, as it helps kids understand the science behind their favorite gadget!
Items Needed:
-4 skateboard bearings (available online or at skateboard stores)
-superglue or Krazy Glue
-a white shoelace
-permanent markers, like Sharpies
-rubbing alcohol (isopropanol)
-a glue gun
Protocol:
1. Use a sharp point to remove the cover from one of the bearings so that you can see the ball bearings inside (fig 1).
2. Draw a 6X6cm square with an X through it and put one of the bearings in the middle, or create a triangle that allows you to center one bearing. Place the other 3 bearings around the one in the middle so that they're evenly spaced. Use a ruler to check spacing (fig 2).
3. Add a single drop of super glue to the junction between each bearing to connect them. If you add too much, the spinner will stick to the paper. *Be careful not to get any glue onto the moving parts of the bearings.
4. When the glue is dry, carefully turn the spinner over and place another drop of glue at each junction.
5. When the glue is dry, prop the spinner up on its side and add glue to the junctions on the sides. Repeat on each side.
6. While the spinner glue is drying, make dots of permanent marker on the shoelace (fig 3).
7. In a well-ventilated area, suspend the shoelace over a tray or colander and drip rubbing alcohol onto it to make the colors run together. Let it dry completely.
8. Use the glue gun to attach the shoelace to the outside edges of the spinner. Fill in gaps between the lace and bearings with hot glue (fig 4).
9. Spin away!
The Science Behind the Fun:
- If you look closely at a skateboard bearing there are only a few ball bearings connecting the center and the outside part that spins. This means that there’s very little friction, or rubbing, between the parts. If you spin the toy around the center bearing, that bearing is called the axis of rotation.
- The three bearings on the outside of the spinner provide the rotating mass that gives the toy a property called angular momentum, which keeps it spinning until the frictional force from the ball bearings in the center slows it down.
Pigments are molecules that give things color.
- The pigments in permanent markers are trapped in ink compounds that are insoluable in water, which means that they won’t dissolve in water. However, if you add a solvent, like rubbing alcohol, or isopropanol, to permanent markers, it dissolves the ink. As the alcohol moves through the cloth you are decorating, it carries the pigments along with it.
About the Author:
Liz Lee Heinecke has loved science since she was old enough to inspect her first butterfly. After working in molecular biology research for ten years and earning her master’s degree, she left the lab to kick off a new chapter in her life as a stay-at-home mom. Soon she found herself sharing her love of science with her three kids as they grew, chronicling their science adventures on her KitchenPantryScientist website.
Her desire to share her enthusiasm for science soon led to a regular segment on her local NBC affiliate, an opportunity to serve as an Earth Ambassador for NASA, and the creation of an iPhone app. Her goal is to make it simple for parents to do science with kids of all ages, and for kids to experiment safely on their own. Liz graduated from Luther College and received her master’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
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