We are pleased to present our 2009-2010 Mad Science Homeschool program.  This series of 16 lessons takes us from scientific methodology to the study of machines, to magnets, to ending the year with a study of chemistry.   Come join the fun of learning!

360 degree Science Panorama

(first-half of the year)

Scientific Method

This lab session introduces students to the common methodology used by scientists to formulate questions, make predictions, develop and perform experiments, collect   and analyze data and draw conclusion. Students will be presented with a problem and asked to develop their own ideas to formulate a solution, make predictions, and test their solution. Students will also discuss the implications of science in society, and investigate how their conclusions could impact the world around them.

“Invention-ation”

Students will learn how inventors work and that many inventions happen by accident. They will also learn that inventors have very active imagination and great energy to carry it out. They will explore the ‘minds’ of some famous inventors and test some activities relating to how some of these inventions came about. It will be one great hour of learning how we can be inventors! 

Mischievous Magnets

What is magnetism, what are the properties of magnets, magnetic fields and electromagnetism—these are just some questions that we will all answer in this laboratory hour. Students will learn that magnetism is a basic force of nature and has universal application in many technologies we enjoy today.

 Photosynthesis

Students will get introduced to photosynthesis, including an understanding of the chemical processes at work in the plant and its role as the beginning of energy flow in food webs. They will have fun and great time doing a simple paper chromatography on chlorophyll and testing for starch as they explore the amazing photochemical reaction called ‘photosynthesis”. Concepts will be presented such that young elementary graders are able to understand this all important life process.

Detective Science

Detective Science will give the students a chance to step into the role of a Mad Science Detective. Through hands-on activities children will learn how science plays a central role in solving crimes. They will explore the various methods employed by forensic scientists to help solve crimes, including fingerprint analysis, examination of dental records, and even investigate written materials. They will take home an identification kit where they can record their fingerprints and other vital information.

Earthworks

Students will become geologists in training as they learn about geology--the science of the Earth. Through a combination of engaging demonstrations and hands-on activities, students will explore rocks, minerals, earthquakes and mountains formation, and much more. They will build their own sedimentary stacker to take home so they can continue to investigate the fascinating elements of Earth science.

Mad Science Machines

Mad Science Machines will give the students a chance to discover that simple machines can make our lives much easier. The students will get the opportunity to try out different types of simple machines: levers incline planes, wheels and axles, and pulleys, through various hands-on activities. Volunteers will get to build a giant lever and see how it works. Pulley systems will show how pulleys allow us to lift objects with less effort. Finally, the students will apply their newfound mechanical knowledge by building their very own machine to take home!

Science of Toys

Students will explore the science behind the toys they play with all the time, and some they may have never seen before. Balls and yo-yos are classic toys and always a lot of fun but also provide children with an opportunity to explore the science of motion. Students will also investigate some unique items, like vector toys and string things, which will help to illustrate the inventive nature of toy construction as well as scientific principles. They will build their very own Jacob’s ladder toys to take home.

Crazy Chemworks

(second-half of the year)

Labworks

Students become lab scientists-in-training in this whirlwind program on laboratory techniques! Each student will learn to manipulate an assortment of lab equipment in a series of hands-on activities. They will learn to transfer droplets using a pipette, and larger quantities using a stirring rod. They will also learn to swirl with an rlenmeyer flask. The one-hour program ends with a cool demonstration by the instructor to show off the lab techniques learned in class. The students will continue lab training with their Take-Home Graduated Gear kit.

Junior Reactors

In this class, students are introduced to the concepts of atoms and reactions! A demonstration of the differences between physical and chemical reactions is followed by a hands-on series of experiments. The relative size of an atom is introduced in a cutting edge race as the children try to reduce a strip of paper down to its atomic size! The class wraps up with a creative molecular session. The children explore how atoms join together and how molecules react using their Take-Home Atomic Coins kit.

pH Phactor

Students explore the crazy chemistry of acids and bases in this fascinating one-hour program on the pH scale. The pH Phactors hydrogen and hydroxide give a colorful introduction, and the Phantastic pH test is applied to common household chemicals. Students are challenged to bring a mystery liquid to a perfect pH balance. The Phestival ends with a Stopper-Popper reaction!

Slime Time

The Mad Science slime recipe is revealed in this ooey gooey chemistry class! Students will learn about slime and its basic ingredients in a series of hands-on activities. Polymer paper clips and cross-linking magnetic marbles will help to examine the key components of slime. Varied concoctions of slime will stir up in scientific style, and the properties of slime will be tested in a team-spirited fashion at the Slime Olympics!

Chem in a Flash

Children take a trip through several fields of chemistry and discover the factors that can change the rate of a reaction. The class begins with a role-playing activity in which volunteers act out two different rates of reaction. This is followed by a hands-on demonstration on oxidation where the role of salt—as a catalyst—is observed. The instructor demonstrates quick-acting reactions such as precipitation and acid-base reactions, followed by a balloon-expanding experiment to test limiting reagents (factors). Children will explore crystallization and receive a Take-Home Action Flask kit to perform more experiments. The class wraps up with a color-changing electrolysis demonstration that covers these cool chemical concepts.

The Glow Show

This class concentrates on how we perceive light and its effect on objects. The concept of how colors are perceived in white light is presented using a hands-on, tricolor experiment. Next, the nature of fluorescence and phosphorescence are unveiled in a black light demonstration. A discussion on the commercial applications of glow-in the-dark products is followed by a challenge to find fluorescing materials among common objects. Chemiluminescence is demystified using a flashlight analogy. The students take part in a role-playing game that provides them with an understanding of the security features used in making real money. A Take-Home Blacklight Writer kit allows students to create security codes for their personal Mad Money.

Super Sticky Stuff

Children will get stuck on science in this one-hour class on sticky stuff! The class begins with a close-up examination of how Velcro hook-and- loop fasteners work. This is followed by a hands-on experiment with different types of tape adhesives. Wet glues are introduced in two inquiry-based experiments. Children learn how to perform a ranking test, and determine the optimal glue to use on various materials. A hands-on activity using scientific labware and everyday items introduce the concepts of suction, hydrogen bonding, and static cling. The children assemble their Take-Home Professor Beakerdude kit, a set of reusable adhesives and a beaker that they can use to perform experiments.

Dry Ice Capades

Children in this class will probe the shifting states of matter through a series of engaging demonstrations and inquiry-based activities. The class warms up with a molecular movement exercise to learn about the three states of matter. Next, students observe melted and resolidified metal— a shift of states from solid to liquid right before their eyes. Dry ice—the star of the show—used in a series of tests, under the guidance of the instructor, explores the properties of matter at extreme temperatures. Children use balloons to help visualize the volumetric difference between matter in solid and gaseous states. The class rolls toward a grand finale that engages the group in catching a cloud !