#4-Imagination Investigation: Program Details

Welcome to the realm of insects! Learn about their fabulous flying abilities, their unique eyesight, and the way that they defend themselves against predators. See how camouflage works and investigate how bugs can be helpful to our environment. Build your own bug models and take home a “bug box” to go on an insect safari your backyard.

Detective Science

Step into the role of a detective and discover how forensic science plays a central role in solving crimes. Create and analyze fingerprints, examine dental records, make teeth impressions and discover how written materials can be analyzed to help solve a crime. Find out if you would make a good witness when your observation skills are put to the test and take home an identification kit to record your fingerprints and other vital information.

Find out that the earth beneath your feet is more than meets the eye in this introductory program on earth science. Discover what the Earth is composed of and how various forces combine to create rocks and minerals. Uncover the forces that create earthquakes, the natural faults in the Earth’s crust and even how mountains are formed. Build your own volcano, see minerals fluoresce before your very eyes and create your own sedimentary stacker to take home.

Kitchen Chemistry

Take a hands-on look at the chemistry that goes on in your kitchen. Hunt for starch, sugar and fats in foods and investigate a living organism that helps bread rise. Discover how the sun can help turn chemical reactions into a tasty snack and build your own mini solar cooker to take home.

Mad Science Machines

Find out how simple machines make our lives easier. Try out different types of simple machines: levers, wedges, incline planes, wheels and axles, and pulleys, through various hands-on activities. Assemble a catapult, investigate how inclined planes work and discover how a simple wedge can be a powerful tool. Rig a pulley system and build a Mad Science drag racer to take home.

Movie Effects

Sit in a Director’s chair and discover why science is the real star on the big screen! Explore the concept of persistence of vision and how we are able to see movies. Take the continuity challenge and see if you have what it takes to help make a movie. Discover how 3-D images are made, check out some red/blue anaglyph glasses and make your own anaglyph drawing. Finally, put your movie making skills to the test to create your very own animation to take home.

Walloping Weather

Welcome to the wild world of weather! Investigate why it rains, what causes lightning and even how weather can be predicted via a science called meteorology. Step into the shoes of a meteorologist and create some of your own regional weather forecasts. Finally, learn about the Sun’s energy and ultraviolet radiation and make a U.V. detector to take home.

Science of Toys

Did you know that some of your favorite toys work using basic science principles? Use bouncing balls, yo-yos and other classic toys to discover the science of motion through fun hands-on activities. Find out how cool vector toys and string things work and build your very own toy called a Jacob’s ladder to take home.