1、Youth and Sport Hall, #114, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y +381 38 246 299 Science in Our Schools Youth and Sport Hall, #114, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y +381 38 246 299 Project Description “Science in Our Schools,” part of the “Care for Our Kosovo” campaign, consi
2、sts of scientific demonstrations and discussions that last for one class period typically 45 minutesand visits 5 classrooms per day, on average. During the first six weeks two days each week will be spent performing in the schools of Gjakova and several days will be spent performing in classrooms in
3、 other cities while simultaneously recruiting and training Presenters in those locations. The basic program itself consists of 8 different experiments using common household items, and several discussions. Some of these experiments are: Using atmospheric pressure to instantly crush an aluminum can U
4、sing the aluminum can to discuss what happens to certain objects such as metal, plastic, glass, and Styrofoam when they are placed in the ground. Demonstrating the concept of bio-degradation by placing a Smoki (Kosovo Cheese Puff) in water and watching as it dissolves. Illustrating the concept of no
5、n-biodegradable by placing Styrofoam in water and watching as it remains unchanged. Placing the Styrofoam in Acetone and watching as it instantly dissolves. Discussing what the impact would be if instead of raining water, clouds rained Acetone. Examining the relevance of non-biodegradation and throw
6、ing garbage on the ground rather than in containers. Discussing what is meant by the term “limited resource” and how that applies to trees, oil, power, water, and metal. Using that knowledge to talk about how and why recycling is important. Making recycled paper using a blender, a nylon stocking, an
7、d some old Youth and Sport Hall, #114, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y +381 38 246 299 paper. Watching a chemical reaction occur as baking soda and vinegar react causing a balloon to inflate. Illustrating the force of gravity by dropping objects of many sizes and observing that regard
8、less of size they fall at the same rate. These experiments not only captivate and interest children, but often interest the teachers as well, who afterwards may make their style of teaching more visual and dynamic to better reach their students. The program engages the children fully throughout. The
9、y are constantly asked questions directly connected to the experiments that are being demonstrated. They are also involved as co-experimenters in the papermaking and chemical reaction experiments. The next phase of the program will actively further the child-centered orientation. That is, different
10、experiments and different approaches to the experiments will be explored that put experiments more in the hands of the children. While now they are encouraged to reach conclusions based on what they see, the program will more encourage them to explore and reach conclusions based on what they are doi
11、ng as well as what they see. The Presenters will also test many new experiments, gauging childrens interest and the value of the experiments in demonstrating various scientific themes. Hanging posters in every classroom and distributing leaflets to every child will reinforce the connection to the “C
12、are for Our Kosovo” campaign. Youth and Sport Hall, #114, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y +381 38 246 299 The Training Manual for Presenters Getting Started Congratulations on being selected as a Presenter for “Science in Our Schools.” You are about to embark on a fun and educational
13、journey that will at times be difficult, but more often rewarding. “Science in Our Schools” is a part of the “Care for our Kosovo” campaign currently working on environmental issues in Kosovo. As a part of this campaign you will have an opportunity to positively affect the environment, stimulate chi
14、ldrens interest in science, and serve as a role model to many children. Science has the ability to be an extremely fun and exciting subject. It can entertain and educate children as well as encourage creativity and imagination. In the field of Science, experiments are often the most fun and interact
15、ive element, and that is what our program focuses on. Rarely can lectures or books interest a child in Science in the way that an exciting experiment can. As a Presenter, you must take advantage of that and make every single action and word as exciting as possible. One of the goals of the program is
16、 to give the kids a special experience. To do that, you must look and act like a true scientistbecause now you are a scientist. You should understand that kids are scientists, too. They have a natural curiosity and are frequently conducting experiments to learn more about the world around them. Use
17、that natural curiosity to your advantage. Let them ask questions and be willing to do what they suggest. Being a Scientist doesnt mean that you must use big words or act super intelligent. On the contrary, you should attempt to explain things in ways that kids understand. The easiest and quickest wa
18、y to look like a Scientist is to wear a white lab coat. The lab coat not only makes you look unique, but it also emphasizes the element of safety, while simultaneously protecting your clothing. Experiments can get messy. When Youth and Sport Hall, #114, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y
19、 +381 38 246 299 using Acetone, it is also important that you wear a bright rubber glove. Not only does the glove give you some protection from the Acetone, but it also gives the children a very exciting sense of danger. Using beakers, test tubes, and eyedroppers to mix and measure items is importan
20、t for the exact same reasons; they are fun for the presenters and children, and they create the genuine laboratory atmosphere. Experiments 1. Using atmospheric pressure to crush an aluminum can Materials: empty soda can tongs gas burner lighter beaker full of water Procedure: Begin by taking an empt
21、y aluminum can and pouring in approximately centimeter of water. Place the can (with the small amount of water) onto the gas burner and ignite. Wait for about 45 seconds while the water comes to a boil. When you can hear the water boiling and see steam rising out of the can, pick up the can with a p
22、air of tongs and quickly turn the can upside down and quickly lower the upside down can just far enough into a beaker of cold water to completely cover the opening. If you move quickly enough, the can will instantly crush. Explanation: Air is heavy. Weighing an empty balloon versus a balloon filled
23、with air can demonstrate this. At sea level .825 cubic meters of air weighs 1 kilogram. All of the combined weight of the air in the atmosphere is known as atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1 kg per square centimeter. This pressure is immense, but because air is always pushi
24、ng equally in all directions, we can never notice this extreme pressure. When we remove the air from the inside of a container, it will collapse because atmospheric pressure is only pushing from one direction. The surface area of a soda can is approximately 105cm. That means that when the air is rem
25、oved, a can will be crushed with 105 kg of pressure. When water heats up, it expands, turning into steam. When the can is filled with steam, covering the opening with water prevents any more air from entering while the temperature change causes the steam to return to its smaller statewater. Thus, th
26、ere is a lack of air in the can. 2. Biodegradation in the ground Explanation: One of the major environmental problems currently facing Kosovo is the improper disposal of aluminum cans. Using the can that you have just crushed, you can open a discussion concerning the difference between biodegradable
27、 and non-biodegradable garbage. Paper, apple cores, and banana peels are examples of garbage that quickly decompose in the ground. They are called biodegradable. Other items such as plastic, metal, glass, and Styrofoam decompose VERY slowly in the Earth and are called non-biodegradable. Youth and Sp
28、ort Hall, #114, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y +381 38 246 299 You can ask the children if they like all of the garbage that they see on the ground. Then, you can explain to them that some of the things that are on the ground are non-biodegradable and might be there forever. You can
29、ask them if they would like to be playing in their yard and dig up somebody elses garbage from a hundred years ago or if they would like for somebody to dig up their garbage a hundred years from now. That is why it is important that we always throw our garbage in a container. If we just throw it in
30、the ground it may be there for a long, long, long time. 3. Demonstrating the concept of biodegradation in water Materials: beaker full of water Bag of Smokies (Stobi Flips or cheese puffs) Piece of Styrofoam Procedure: After explaining the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable, ask
31、the children to guess whether a Smoki will decompose in water or if it will remain unchanged. When they are finished guessing, place the Smoki in the beaker and gently rub it between your fingers as you walk around the classroom, allowing everybody to get a good look. Every 5 or 10 seconds, take the
32、 Smoki out of the water and let the children look at it. Ask them if it is the same or if it is decomposing. Next, ask the children whether or not they think Styrofoam will dissolve in water. You can conduct an experiment to check their hypotheses. Repeat the same procedure as before and after a min
33、ute or so, ask them if it is the same or if it is unchanged. 4. Demonstrating decomposition in Acetone Materials: Small glass dish or ashtray Rubber glove Youth and Sport Hall, #114, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y +381 38 246 299 Acetone Small piece of Styrofoam Procedure: Put on a r
34、ubber glove and take out a bottle of acetone. Place the Styrofoam in the ashtray and pour a small amount of Acetone over it. The Styrofoam will instantly dissolve. It is a good idea in larger classrooms to repeat this experiment several times so everybody has an opportunity to see. Explanation: Acet
35、one is the most basic of keytones and is slightly polar. Because it is polar, it has a tendency to attract other molecules. When Acetone attracts certain molecules within the Styrofoam, it changes its structure and causes it to dissolve. You can ask the children what would the world be like if inste
36、ad of raining water, clouds rained Acetone. If clouds rained Acetone, Styrofoam would quickly decompose. But because rain is water, Styrofoam will not quickly decompose and therefore is an environmental hazard, and just like soda cans, it will stay in the ground for many thousands of years. 5. So, w
37、hat is a limited resource? There are many resources on our planet. Water, power, petrol, glass, trees, plastic and metal are all limited resources. That means that there is only a limited supply of these materials in the earth and when they are all gone, there will never be more. Some materials like
38、 trees are limited, but are considered renewable. That means that they can grow back, so if we are careful we will never run out. In Kosovo, the concept of limited supply should be easily understood. Frequently, Kosovo has power and water outages because of the limited supply. In order to prevent ru
39、nning out of these supplies, we need to conserve. That means we need to use only as much of the resources as we absolutely have to. One way that we can conserve resources is to recycle or reuse these items. 6. How to make recycled paper Materials: Metal dish with water Gas stove Lighter Several piec
40、es of used paper Bottle of food dye Blender Nylon stocking (one leg) Large metal pot Towel Procedure: Place the metal dish on the burner and pour in about 2 cups of water. Light the burner and heat the water until it is warm. CAUTION: DO NOT MAKE THE WATER TOO HOT! When the water is warm to the touc
41、h, carefully pour it into the blender. Have the children tear the pieces of used paper (you can get the paper from the children or even from the garbage can) into little squares about 2 cm X 2 cm. When they are finished, have them put the pieces into the blender. Add about Youth and Sport Hall, #114
42、, Prishtina, Kosovo Y www.balkansunflowers.org Y +381 38 246 299 one drop of dye, just for fun. Put the lid on the blender and let the pieces soak for about five or ten minutes. Next, plug the blender in and blend for about 45 seconds. If there is no power, than you will have to shred the pieces of
43、paper by hand. This is not as fun and does not produce the same results, but it is sufficient. Find a child wearing short sleeves or sleeves that can be easily rolled up. Bring the child up to the front of the class and have him hold his arms out in front of him. Take one of the nylon stockings and
44、stretch it over his arms and have him pull his arms apart. Place the large metal pot underneath his arms. You have just created a screen that can be used to strain the water out of the paper. Begin pouring the mixture onto the nylon screen. CAUTION: IF THE WATER IS TOO HOT, YOU WILL BURN THE CHILDS
45、ARMS! When all of the mixture is on the screen, shake it around a little and press on the paper until most of the water has drained through. When it is sufficiently strained, carefully remove the stocking, taking care not to disturb the paper. Have the child return to his seat. Next, lay a towel on
46、a desk and lay the stocking and paper mixture on the towel. Fold the towel over the paper and press down very hard. This will flatten the paper as well as soak up the remaining water. When most of the water is soaked up, carefully remove the paper and let the children get a close look. Place it on a
47、 windowsill to dry. Drying will take a long time, but when it is dry, it will be real paper. If you have a few pieces that you have made in advance, you can show them what it will look like when it is dry. Pass the dry pieces around. Explain that the same principle is used in factories on a very lar
48、ge scale and saves many trees each year. Other materials like glass, metal, and plastic can be recycled on a large scale as well. Aluminum cans can be recycled by selling them to a metal shop. Glass and plastic can be reused in the home, instead of thrown away. 7. The Physics of soap Materials: Dish
49、 Milk Bottle of dish soap Pencil (can be borrowed) Food dye Procedure: Pour about 2 or 3 cm of milk into the dish. Carefully drop 2 or 3 drops of dye in the center of the milk. Dip the tip of the pencil in the soap so that the very tip of the pencil is just barely coated with soap. Touch the pencil tip to the center of the dye. The dye will instantly shoot to the edges of the dish, away from the soap. NOTE: The same demonstration can be done by pouring water into a dish and sprinkling pepper on top. When the surface of the
