Welcome to Sarah's Summer Science Scrapbook!
This past week was our electrical week, "All Charged Up!"
We started the week learning about static electricity. One of our first projects was a Paper Clip Electroscope for measuring static electricity. (The static electricity was, of course, generated by rubbing a styrofoam cup on our heads.)
When a statically charged object is brought near the probe, the paperclips spread apart. The electroscope can be grounded by simply touching a finger to the probe, whereupon the paper clips fall back down. (Animation below may take several minutes to load.)
Our next project was a Static Ball Game where we used a statically charged wand to move balls around a course.
Later in the week, we moved on from static electricity to current electricity. One of the favorites was our homemade Salt Water Battery. The battery, composed of three half cells, was used to power LEDs. And conveniently, when the battery "runs low," it's easy to mix up another batch of super saturated salt water.
Some of our other projects this week included Mini-Flashlights, an Electric Code Tapper, and a Multi-Speed Fan.
With the multi-speed fan, we played with resistors and with the Advanced Project Touch to Light LED we learned about transistors. By the end of the week, we learned more about electricity than many American adults know.
We also enjoyed our hike to Redwood Bowl and fort building in Joaquin Miller Park.
This past week at the Oakland site, we continued our new tradition of honoring some of our great counselors with a Maillot Jaune (French for Yellow Jersey) modeled off of the tradition from the Tour de France. The recipients from this past week are Travis and Natalie! This coming week, they will pass on the shirts to two new counselors.
Can't get enough of Sarah's Science? Our exciting upcoming themes include "Amazing Adaptations" (July 27-31 session in San Ramon, Oakland, and Berkeley) and "Gravity Works!" (August 3-7 session in San Ramon, Oakland, and Berkeley).
In "Amazing Adaptations" we will
- Take home our own insect-eating plant
- Get a close-up look at nature’s weirdest creatures with Owen from the East Bay Vivarium
- Make a magnetic board to match birds to their food
- And more!
And in "Gravity Works!" we will
- Design a downhill dragster
- Perform amazing feats of balance with a tightrope unicyclist
- Defy gravity with a hover ball machine
- And more!
Space is available in both of these sessions as well as most other weeks at most locations for weekly signups, or daily drop-ins.
For more information about This Land is Your Land summer day camp or other programs offered by Sarah's Science, or to enroll in sessions at San Ramon, Oakland, or Berkeley, please visit our web site or call our office at (510) 581-3739 or send us an email.
Thanks for stopping by. Check back soon for updates.