Science
Isn't Always Pretty
For thousands of years people used myths and superstitions to explain the wonders of the world around them. Now we use science to understand why things happen and how stuff works.
With Science Isn't Always Pretty, Keith shares his enthusiasm for the beauty that can be found in the strangest of places. Among other demonstrations, you will meet the oddball scientist Antoine Lavoisier at the moment of his greatest achievement. A lucky assistant will help dissect an owl pellet (scat) accompanied by Keith's unforgettable food chain narration. He will break the sound barrier (safely) with a machine that travels over 700 miles per hour. And then he'll explain why it happened in a way even the most junior audience member can appreciate. Finally, Keith will brew up a batch of green non-Newtonian fluid, expound on it's unique physical properties and reveal how even the smartest scientist can sometimes get it wrong. Slime flies in this 50 minute adventure!
Keith's Bio: As a part-time special ed student in elementary school, Keith Michael Johnson developed two skills that led to his success: humor and perseverance. Keith has parlayed his curious and unique approach to elementary school studies into a series of programs that make math, history, reading and science engaging, educational and unforgettable. Keith started his "show business" in 1986 and now performs 300 programs a year in elementary schools and libraries throughout CT, MA and RI. He's a graduate of Roger Williams University and Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown College—where he fine tuned his comedy skills and earned a BFA (Bachelor of Fun Arts).
Science Isn't Always Pretty Objectives:
- With experiments in biology, chemistry, physics and zoology—Demonstrate the fact that while science is not always pretty, it is an interesting and fun subject to study.
- Impress upon the students that scientific knowledge allows us to appreciate the world around us in a way that people living just a few hundred years ago could never imagine.
- Motivate students to learn about science on their own. Especially through reading. Because with a sense of wonder and a good education they can become scientists too.
- myths and superstitions - the stories people made up to explain the world around them, before science.
- science - the study of why things happen and how stuff works.
- energy - the ability to make things happen.
- machine - a device that uses energy to get work done
- Antoine Lavoisier - the father of fire, a red hot scientist from the 18th century, he finally discovered what fire was, a chemical reaction mixing fuel, oxygen and heat.
- -ology - means the study of something. Musicology, paleontology, scatology.
- experiment - a test to find out why something is the way it is.
- Sir Isaac Newton - Discovered gravity, made telescopes, sat under apple trees, etc. Some people think he was the smartest person that ever lived.
- solids - Isaac Newton said, "solids must break."
- liquids - Isaac Newton said, "liquids must pour."
- non-Newtonian Fluid - proves that even a know it all like Isaac Newton could be wrong. It's both a solid that pours and a liquid that breaks with out having to change it's temperature. ( i.e. Silly Putty)
- zoology - the study of animals.
- carnivore - an animal that just eats meat.
- herbivore - an animal that just eats plants.
- omnivore - an animal that eats both meat and plants.
- books - a great place to find out more about whatever you're interested in.
Slime Recipe
- 1 glass mixing bowl
- 1 rounded tsp. of 20 Mule Team Borax (sold in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores and at places like W-Mart.)
- 8 oz white school glue
- 1 1/2 c. warm water
- 15 drops food coloring
- 1 airtight container (zip lock bag or tupperware is fine)
- In the glass bowl, stir 1 cup of warm water with glue and food coloring.
- Dissolve the borax powder in the remaining 1/2 cup of warm water.
- Add the Borax mixture to glue mix (making sure all borax has been added) and stir until the lump stops forming. Stir vigorously for another 20 seconds.
- Remove the lump of slime and knead it with your hands to dry it and complete the reaction. In about 2 minutes or so, you should be holding a ball of wonderful slime that pulls clean from your hands.
Your slime is now ready to use. Bounce it off of a table to show that it acts like a solid. And then, leave it to relax into a puddle on the table to show how it acts like a liquid. A solid to a liquid, all with out changing it's temperature!
Store your slime in an airtight container.
PLEASE NOTE: This recipe produces slime that is non-toxic, but should not be eaten. Children should enlist the help of an adult when making slime.
Something to try in class: THE FLY TRAP (Life-cycles)
Materials: One Banana, Nylon Stocking,1 Quart Jar, Rubber Band
Directions: Peel the banana and place it inside the open jar. Leave the jar open and undisturbed for 3 days. Observe the jar daily. When 5-10 small fruit flies are seen inside the jar, cover the top with the stocking (secure it with the rubber band). Leave the flies in the jars for three days, then release all of them. Recover the jar with the stocking. Observe the jar for two weeks.
Results: Within a few days, maggots can be seen crawling around. Later, small capsules replace the maggots, and finally, new flies emerge.