 |  | Meet your Mad Scientist:
Science in the News
Mad Science Experiment
We'd like to introduce you to Stacia Tellefson or, as your children know her, Stellar Stacia. Stacia is a Washington native and grew up in Kent although her family has since migrated to Seattle. She earned her undergraduate degree in Geology from Washington State and has chosen to follow in her mothers footsteps and become a teacher. 
Stacia first joined us in September of 2005 as one of our After School Instructors. She left us to go back to school to get her Masters in Teaching at Seattle University but, like so many of our instructors, she chose to come back to us during the summer to work with our camps. Because of her experience with Mad Science, and her teaching background, she was a natural choice to put in charge of training our instructors, pulling together the curriculum and a host of other responsibilities that goes into a Mad Science Summer Camp. She has also filled in where necessary at a camp and has taught some of our workshops.
When asked, "Why Mad Science"? Her reply was, "Kids and science, it's an easy combination. I get to play fun science along with the kids. Also, I enjoy Mad Science because the kids are the focal point from the very beginning of the process. Everything we do is about the kids."
Even though she's going back to school to finish out her final year, we're hoping that she will continue to come back part time so that she can share her experience and enthusiasm with your children.
Science in the News:
What puts the BANG in Fireworks? Every year on Independence Day, Americans all around the country are drawn to spectacular fireworks displays. But what makes the colors, lights and sounds so vivid? Each color in a fireworks display is produced by a specific mineral compound. Bright greens are from barium, blues come from copper, and yellows require sodium. More colors are made by mixing compounds. The role of minerals in fireworks is just one example of our society’s reliance on minerals for making products ranging from computers to toothpaste. Minerals don’t just make tools—they makes tools stronger and long-lasting. Want to know more? Visit http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals to learn about USGS statistics on production, trade and resources for about 90 mineral commodities from around the world. Enjoy fun facts at http://minerals.usgs.gov/west/factfaq.shtml.
Mad Science Experiment:
Flopping Flags
- 3 toothpicks
- Paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Colored Pencils
- A metal jar lid
- A plastic lid (like one from a yogurt or margarine container)
- A wooden coaster
- A plastic knife
- Butter, shortening or margarine
- A large pan, bucket. or bowl
- Hot water
- Cut out three pieces of paper all the same size (about 1 ½” by ¾” or the size of your thumb). If you want, use the colored pencils to decorate each paper differently. Tape them to the three toothpicks to make tiny flags.
- Cut (or have your parent cut) three chunks of butter, margarine, or shortening with the plastic knife. Make sure all the chunks are about the same size, about an inch square
- Put one chunk in the metal lid, one chunk in the plastic lid, and one chunk on the wooden coaster. Stick a flag in each chunk.
- Have your parent pour your hot water into your large pan, bucket, or bowl (it should be at least three inches deep). Set the three lids gently on the surface so that they float like little rafts. Which flag do you think will fall over first?
This experiment tests conductivity. The flag on the metal lid should flop over first because metal conducts heat very well. Plastic and wood do not. If you touch the lids right after the experiment, you will notice the metal lid is hot, but the plastic and wood are not.
Did you ever wonder why wires are made of metal wrapped in plastic? Metal allows energy to flow through it, in the form of electricity and heat. Plastic is not a good conductor, so that heat and electricity cannot flow through the wrapping and cause electric shock or electrical fires. By wrapping wires in plastic, you get a package with energy on the inside and a nice safe wrapping on the outside!
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