Category: Science

Reindeer Toothpaste Experiment

Our class created our own version of the famous ‘elephant toothpaste’ experiment! To do this experiment at home (with adult permission and supervision), you can…

-fill an empty plastic bottle or cup around 1/2 way with 3% hydrogen peroxide (if using a higher %, please wear gloves and eye protection)

-add a large squirt of dish soap

-optionally, add food colouring and/or peppermint extract

-then, in a separate cup mix a large spoonful of instant yeast with some warm water for 30 seconds (until dissolved)

-quickly and carefully pour the yeast mixture into the hydrogen peroxide mixture and step back

We learned this experiment creates and exothermic reaction, which means it gets hot! We noticed that when we increase the amount of soap and yeast, the bubbles continued to form for a much longer amount of time.

Pleases note: Always be careful when doing Science at home, and make sure to have adult supervision and permission.

Candy Cane Day: A Science Experiment

Did you know candy canes were thought to have been invented around 200 years ago? In celebration of Candy Cane Day at Lochdale, we decided to take these minty treats and use them in a Science experiment!

First, students decided what substances/chemicals to submerge the candy canes in. We had a selection of acids, bases, etc. Then, we observed the candy cane immediately, after 5 minutes, and after 20 minutes of being submerged in the liquids.

     

Top left: Isopropyl alcohol (liquid hand sanitizer) and top right: 1% milk

Bottom left: Pepsi and bottom right: vinegar

 

We had very interesting results! You can also check out the process of making candy canes by hand in the video below:

Snow Science Part 1: A Messy Experiment

Sometimes Science surprises us! We made 2 fake snow recipes yesterday and the results were… a bit messy to say the least. If you want to make this snow at home, the recipe for our successful fake snow was:

Mix together 1 tablespoon of white hair conditioner and 5-10 tablespoons of baking soda. Stir until well combined, adding more baking soda or conditioner until you get a texture that is not too sticky and can be molded into a ‘snowman’. Optionally, you might add a drop of colour to your snow.

             

Pictured above left: successful snow! Pictured above right: less successful snow!

We learned that baking soda works much better than cornstarch when making fake snow. We will try this experiment again on Friday to create our ‘perfect’ recipe. Stay tuned!

Terrariums: Tiny Local Ecospheres

Hello, Scientists! I hope that everyone is taking great care of their terrariums.

Look at the variety of local plants, mosses, and other natural objects we used for our terrariums!

Remember, because it is a self-contained ecosystem, the plants should be able to survive without being watered. You should notice condensation (mist/drips) on the inside of your glass jar. If your terrarium looks dry (or if an insect managed to sneak into your terrarium), feel free to quickly open the jar to make changes!

 

 

Teas Around the World

Have you ever tried hibiscus tea? How about cacao mint rooibos? Labrador tea? This week, we examined some very interesting teas from local and global sources!

Take a look at some of the teas we investigated this week!

Top left: hibiscus tea

Top right: wild rose white tea

Middle left: ‘cabin’ tea (foraged from forests in Whistler, B.C.)

Middle right: Labrador tea (an important tea in many Indigenous cultures)

Bottom left: turmeric-ginger tea

Bottom right: jade fir tea

Water: Our Most Valuable Resource

This week, we began our discussion about water scarcity both in Canada and around the world. We learned that a very small percentage of the water on Earth is fresh, clean, and drinkable. Many people across the world do not have access to clean water, which effects their lives in many ways.

In The Water Princess, Gie Gie tells the story of her daily routine with her mother. They wake up before the sun rises, walk many miles to a water source, wait in line, gather the water, make the trek home, and then boil the water to try to remove some of the impurities as microorganisms. The cycle repeats the next day, and the day after.

We will continue to discuss water preservation, scarcity, and purification over the next few weeks.

Tea Tasting: An Optional At-Home Activity

Hi everyone! On Thursday, November 26th I will be sending home a sample of one of the teas we have been learning about in Science. Please feel free to brew and taste the tea together at home! Here is some information about the tea:

    • The tea is Jade Fir tea from the Namasthe/Ranger Tea Company, a Canadian-owned handcrafted tea brand
    • This teas ingredients are: Spring harvest mountain green tea and Douglas Fir tips 
    • The Fir tips are sustainably harvested from unceded Coast Salish territories and forests by Indigenous members of the company
    • Because this is a ‘wild’ brew, you might see some large pieces of pine, sticks, etc.
    • Douglas Fir tea has been used for centuries as a ‘thirst-quencher’ (rehydrating and energizing properties)
    • This tea has citrus-y, pine-y flavours that may be new or unusual to many people, but it has been enjoyed by many Indigenous cultures for thousands of years

 

  • Please ensure that there are no allergens in the tea, and always consult with a doctor if you are pregnant/taking medication before drinking this tea

 

To serve: Steep the tea in hot water for 3 minutes. Strain and enjoy. You may also want to add a little maple syrup for sweetness, or a slice of lemon for flavour. 

Please let me know if you try the tea, and I hope you enjoy this unique blend of Green tea and Fir tea! I’ve attached a video of an Indigenous chef discussing how he sustainably harvests ingredients for tea:

 

 

Learning at Home: Designing a Science Experiment

Hello Scientists,

Please don’t forget that your homework for tomorrow is to brainstorm an idea for an experiment involving our bean sprouts!

For Thursday, please come prepared with an idea of what you’d like to ‘test’ in your experiment.

For example: I am going to test whether the beans grow larger if they are watered with tap water or bottled water.

We will design our hypothesis, control, etc. tomorrow in class!

Tea Time Science: Diffusing Different Teas

Did you know that tea is the most popular drink in the world (other than water)? People all over the world drink different kinds of tea. You might drink iced sweetened tea, hot mint tea, or even fruit-flavoured tea with boba! Today, we examined some of the Science behind making tea.

We started by making observations about the tea. What colour(s) did we notice? What texture/size were the particles? What scents/smells did the tea have?

We made observations about 6 kinds of tea: Earl Grey, Vanilla Rooibos, Chamomile, Green Tea, Honeybush Orange, & Red Raspberry. Then, we predicted what colour the tea would be when we diffused it (steeped it) in water.

Then, we added hot water to our tea and let it steep. We observed how the tea changed in colour and scent when steeped in water. Finally, created a Science Journal page by painting a small ‘swatch’ of each tea.

One of the most surprising discoveries for our class… the Green Tea was not very green, and the Earl Grey tea was not grey at all!