Citizen Science: A Break through in the break down of plastic bags!

We, as consumers, use A LOT of plastic bags! They were invented specifically for the convenience of a busy shopper and as the amount of things we purchase grows...so does the amount of plastic bags in the environment. I found this statistic on another blog called "The Rage Diaries."

"According to the Food Marketing Institute, the average American makes 2.1 grocery shopping trips weekly, and picks up $28 worth of food each time -- six to ten bags' worth, depending on how they pack. That's twelve to twenty plastic bags weekly, per person. According to Retail Traffic, there's an estimated 20,000 visits per week per grocery store, on national average.
20,000 * 12 = 24,000 plastic bags used weekly per average grocery store in the U.S. There are about 34,000 grocery stores in the U.S. 24,000 * 34,000 = 816,000,000 bags used weekly nationwide."

Thats a really scary number; and thats exactly why Daniel Burd picked this topic for his science fair project! Daniel is a 16 year old who conducted this experiment as a science fair project, and ended up with a revolutionary solution to the plastic bag plague that has laid waste to ecosystems around the world. Burd isolated two strains of bacteria (Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas) that work together to consume polyethelene plastic! Daniel discovered that this bacteria combination broke down a plastic bag 43% in 6 weeks.

Daniel, and many others, feel that this could be the answer that we are looking for. It is efficient, cheap and could be used on an industrial scale! “All you need is a fermenter . . . your growth medium, your microbes and your plastic bags,” says the top prize winner of the Canada-Wide Science Fair.

Good work Daniel! It just shows that great science fair projects can pave a path for the future!

Cool Tools: Julmarknad!

Hi everyone, Nancy here.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of representing the Museum at the annual North Carolina Scandinavian Christmas Fair or "Julmarknad" which means Christmas Fair in Sweden. One of our beloved staff members here is very actively involved in the event through SWEA, the Swedish Women's Educational Association. Each December 13, many people celebrate the feast day of Saint Lucia in homes throughout Sweden and other Nordic countries. Known as the festival of light, Lucia Day marks the return of daylight and longer days to Scandinavians and officially ushers in the Christmas season.

I spent the day talking with folks about the night sky and creating "constellation cans" with them. We explored star maps and guides and used them as inspiration to design the cans so we could "see the stars" inside. This is a great activity to do at home with your budding astronomer:

You can use an empty oatmeal box (save the lid), some black construction paper, a pushpin, scissors, transparent tape and some star stickers to decorate the box. First, wrap the outside of the box with black paper and tape down. Trim any excess paper. Use the star stickers (we like the small metallic ones teachers usually use as reward stickers;you can find them at most office supply stores) Next, remove the lid of the box. Place another sheet of black paper over the opening of the box and lay flat. You won't need a full sheet, just enough to cover the opening with about an inch and a half leeway all the way around. Next, take the lid and push down over the paper until the lid locks in place. Now you are ready for your "constellations". Take the pushpin and poke holes through the lid/black paper. You can recreate a constellation like the Big Dipper or Orion or just create your own. When you're finished, turn the box over, take your scissors (adults should do this part to help keep kids safe) and use one blade to saw out the entire bottom of the oatmeal box.

Your constellation can is ready! Just hold up, aim the lid towards a light source above you, look through the bottom and you will see the stars!

Here are some good resources on the night sky: Google Sky, NASA and Astronomy for Beginners

The SERC also has a lot of great resources that you can check out on star gazing.

Stay tuned and stay curious,


-Nancy

Citizen Science: Recycling Symbols...broken down!

As we are quickly approaching the holiday season I find myself thinking about the amount of trash and recyclables that we are going accumulate- everything from the containers that our food is coming in all the way to the wrapping paper from opening gifts...and the list goes on.  I hate having to guess if something can actually be recycled or not...and what if I pitch it and it actually could have been recycled!?! Then what?

It has me thinking about what the recycling symbols actually stand for?  I have been searching for the correct explanation of the plastic protocol, and I have finally found a great explanation!!  This site does a wonderful job of explaining what each symbol stands for and what types of products it represents!

Here is another great site about recycling.  It has lots of options and ideas about recycling, reuseing, upcycling and where to discard the item if you truely have no use for it!  

And here is a nice way to recycle your old wine corks! 

"Championship" workout for the Holidays

While checking out this year's upcoming ACC basketball season, I stumbled across a great article about a simple workout, just in time for the holidays. I know a lot of people don't have time to exercise, especially during the holiday season, but a couple minutes during commercials or halftime while you follow your favorite team can be good for anyone. And hey, isn't that what DVR is for?

The Never Fail Lid Remover

If you have ever tried to unscrew a tight metal lid on a jar, and you can't, you know what happens. Either someone else does it for you, or you tap it against the counter trying to loosen it up. Well, no more having to ask for help! If you just hold the lid of the jar under hot water for one minute, it should twist right off!

How is works: Most things expand as they get warmer. When the jar is heated up, the molecules inside it expand, causing lid to loosen. Since metal is a better conductor of heat than the glass jar, it heats up much faster , giving you the upper hand on removing that stubborn lid!

Let me know if you have any other tricks of your own!

Cool Tools: Kiss Your Brain!

Hi everyone,

Nancy Here.

With all of the research out there about Alzheimer's Disease, people are eager to learn more about the onset of the disease and what they can do to help slow it down or protect against it.

My son's great grandmother is living with Alzheimer's. Her doctors firmly believe that had she not been active her whole life, that the effects of the disease would be much more prevalent and would limit her daily activity. She is an active senior and is thriving in an assisted living community where she still has latitude to socialize with friends and family and keep busy and healthy.

Researchers claim that there is growing evidence that lifestyle and environment play a big role in Alzheimer's prevention in some people. Here are some things researchers recommend to help prevent or slow down the onset :

• 
  Avoid jarring your brain - this is easy, wear a helmet when doing physical activity like bike riding, skate boarding, equestrian sports and skiing and when you're in a car, don't forget to buckle up!


• Staying in touch with your friends and participating in social activities have numerous health benefits. Volunteer or join a club or civic group as another way to network socially. ( and help your community)


• Eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise.


• Exercise your mind to keep your brain active and sharp. You can learn a new language, play an instrument, start a hobby ( I've started crafting, it's not pretty. Hey, it's the process not the product, right?), read, do puzzles like crosswords or sudoku or play games.

Check out this site. On fitbrains.com you can subscribe for a small fee to enjoy all the features or play as a guest like I do. My favorite is "Welcome to the Busy Bistro". It's harder than it looks but it's a fun engaging way to keep your brain active.

My former office mate Kay's mom is a retired teacher. Her trademark saying to her students when they got a question right or connected with something was "Kiss your brain!" Indeed. Give your brain some love.

Stay tuned and stay curious,

-Nancy

Cool Tools: And, we're back....

Hi everyone, Nancy here.

We want to thank all the staff and volunteers here at the Museum as well as some terrific friends that came in to help us get the next round of science kits ready for Durham Public Schools.

Last month, we had the pleasure of being asked to be community partners with our friends at WTVD Channel 11 Eyewtitness News and spent an entire day with them in their booth at the North Carolina State Fair. We got to meet some of the on air personalities like Glenn Willey and Amanda Fitzpatrick and spend time with fairgoers talking about the Museum and doing weather activities with some of the children.

I have to admit I was a little intimidated talking about weather around Glenn, who is the Meterologist on the morning team, but it was pretty cool seeing the kids get into learning about the different weather instruments we brought (like thermometers and rain gauges) and examine cloud patterns on cloud charts.

If you have been out to visit our Museum and have "captained" a sailboat out at the pond in Catch the Wind, there is a station that describes the Beaufort (Wind Force) Scale which is an empircal measure for weather intensity based mostly on wind power. It tells us what to expect conditions on land and sea to be at certain wind speeds. Use of the scale is helpful as weather is often forecasted using this scale globally.

An instrument that meterologists use to measure wind force and velocity is something called an anemometer. We helped the kids make pocket anemometers with a pattern on heavy cardstock and a standard paperclip. Most of the kids at the fair were registering about a "4" on the Beaufort Scale which meant that there was a moderate breeze.

If you are interested in making an anemometer, contact us and we'll get you a pattern. Make sure you address your request to the SERC.

Many of the folks that stopped by the booth were intrigued by the rain gauges and asked where to get them. You can find them in the garden departments of most retailers and they are fairly inexpensive. There are some sophisticated ones that you can buy online but of course, we at the SERC are advocates for the DIY approach. You can make a child-friendly one with a clear cup and a wide craft stick. Just use clear tape to adhere the stick to the cup. Make sure the stick extends past the bottom of the cup enough so that it can be staked into the ground. Use a ruler and a black permanent marker or grease pencil to mark off increments in inches. We also found this version that might make a fun science project.

And now, back to you.

Stay tuned and stay curious,
-Nancy

Kit Tidbit: Building a Science In A Suitcase kit from start to finish!! (part 1)

These next few blog posts are going to be about our most recent project in the SERC, creating a new Science In A Suitcase (SIAS) kit from the very beginning to the end. The topic for this kit is going to be Wetlands, and will be targeting grades 6-8. So...here we go!!

The first step to this process is figuring out the topic and budget for our new baby. We decided that a Wetlands kit concentrating on middle school science is going to be great for many reasons. The main thought is because we have an awesome Wetland at the Museum, and we really want educators to take note and use the resource around us! Another reason we chose this topic is because we can incorporate lots of field study activities...and get ready - an ENVIROSCAPE!

For those of you who do not know what an EnviroScape is, its a table top model of an Environment in which you can manipulate different aspects of it. The model we chose is titled "Wetlands" and it shows all the different industrial reasons a Wetland can become polluted. Because we're all about interactive science and work with lots of inner-city schools, this quote really sold me on including this resource.

"We go out in pairs with the EnviroScape to inner-city after school programs and Native American resource centers. Many people are unaware of the importance of wetlands. With EnviroScape we can dramatically show the points we are trying to make and the kids love it. Everybody gets a chance to interact and they get excited about learning something new."

JANE SCHMITT, League of Women Voters, Henrietta, NY.

The next step is to create great hands on activities for the kit! This is where we are now. Soon to come I will explain the process is this too! For me, it is all a trial and error because this is my first time creating a SIAS kit!!! Until next time:)

Citizen Science: CFLS...The Return!

Hi everyone, Nancy here.

Kristen submitted a great post about the Lamp Corporation's green fundraising initiative utilizing sales of CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights).

CFLs are efficient, save money and help reduce air and water pollution.

Many of us are starting to replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs. We have even started using them in the "Earth Moon, Sun" and 5th Grade "Weather" Science Kits we refurbish for Durham Public Schools! However, because these bulbs contain a small amount of mercury embedded in the glass tubing, it is important to make sure they are disposed of properly and safely.

Here are some sites that were recommended as part of a continued effort to educate Museum staff and volunteers as well as our members and folks in the community about sustainability.

This is a link to a list of 4 places in the area where you can recycle/dispose your light bulbs.

Home Depot announced that they were a nationwide recycling center for CFL bulbs sometime last month.


If you know of any other local sites that accept CFLs for safe disposal, please share them with us.

Stay tuned and stay curious,
-Nancy

Cool Tools: Steve Spangler anyone?

Doing research for our blog, I stumbled upon a man named Steve Spangler. He is an author, a teacher, a toy designer and someone who creates a mess where ever he goes! His crazy and laid-back personality allows him to make science experiments fun and messy!

He has been featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine and TIME Magazine where on-line readers voted him #18 in the Top 100 Most Influential people of 2006!


Check him out! Steve loves science, people and teaching. He might be characterized as a "mad scientist!" Let me know if anyone tries out any of his exciting experiments!

He also has some great Halloween science experiments and products!  Enjoy:)

Kit Tidbit: Finalizing Science in a Shoebox

We are almost done working on the prototypes for Science in a Shoebox! We have written, re-written and are on the final copy of each activity guide. To refresh your memory, we chose three Science in a Suitcase topics: Eco Explorers, Rocks and From Seed to Plant. We pulled some activities from the existing kit and also wrote a few new ones! Each Shoebox comes with enough materials for 5 people, books, non consumable supplies (hand lenses, trowels, specimens), a recommended literature list and a vocabulary page.

These kits allow you to explore different activities, connect what you learned with real life practices, learn more about the professions involved and share your new knowledge with others! We are getting ready to jump back into our schedule of Second Science Saturdays after the holidays, so we will let you know what our guests think!  If you would like to rent a Science In A Shoebox, email me at kristenw@ncmls.org.  

Earth Science Week!

At the museum, we feel that learning about the world around you is a very impoartant thing.  This is why we are hosting a week long event called Earth Science Week!  Earth science generally recognizes 4 areas of science; the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere. These correspond to rocks, water, air, and life.  As you can tell, earth science is an all encompassing subject.

Nancy has worked really hard on our earth science week and I am really excited to share it with you! Some of the events we have planned are Gem Mining, Vermicomposting, a Fossil Find, and even a story time with the book Diary of a Worm for our little peeps!  It will be a very exciting a busy week for us!  

Check out the schedule of events to see when you can make it to one of our programs!!!

Hope to see you there:)

Citizen Science: Daily Tips for Going Green- the cool way :o)

Hello Readers!

My name is Megan, and I'm the newest member here of the SERC team. For my blogging debut, I really wanted to find some sites for people new to going green. I myself am somewhat new to this lifestyle, and am always looking for ways to improve my way of life and the environment around me. On the flip-side of that, many sites that are great resources for living a greener lifestyle can be a bit intimidating for newcomers.

One great website that I came across to check out is www.idealbite.com

"A Sassier Shade of Green" is their motto, and it fits completely.

I wanted a site that gave people the opportunity to sign up for daily green living tips, and there are plenty. If you are hardcore about the 'living green' idea, then sites such as Treehugger.com , inhabitat.com , the Planet Green Channel are all great.

For newbies though, I thought that a site that was a little less overwhelming would be a great start. That is where Ideal Bite comes in, and I so far I love it.

Their top 10 Tips for going green include getting rid of junk mail, the a/c versus windows down issue, and Phantom Loads (you'll just have to click to find out about this one!).

Each new tip has a Bang for the Bite fact that shows how much impact can be done with the tip.

A Cocktail Fact is also included, which are neat tidbits that can be used as ice breakers to to start a discussion about the green living tip of the day.

Their concept of making green living a trendy idea definitely will appeal to many people who are a little afraid of taking the larger leaps into green living. They even include a blog section, as well as a 'share your own tip' section so that new ideas are always being contributed.

Go check out Ideal Bite and share with all of your friends, especially the ones a little afraid of Going Green. :o)

Citizen Science: "One Simple Change For A Brighter Future"

The company 'Lamp Corporation' is promoting a new energy efficient green fundraiser campaign titled "ONE SIMPLE CHANGE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE." The fundraiser contains a 4 pack of 13 watt CFL light bulbs compared to your traditional 60 watt light bulbs. This fundraiser is for any school or charity that wants to do something good for itself, the community and the environment.

Check it out! And remember October 3rd is National Change a Light Day!

The Guest List: Solving the Mystery of Traffic Jams

Have you ever been stuck in traffic for hours, only to come out at the end of the traffic jam to see no apparent reason for the cars to have stopped in the first place? Driving back from Nashville after Thanksgiving last year, this happened to me twice on a particularly long and rainy stretch through the mountains near Asheville. I was glad to see that nobody was hurt, but wondered how I could have been in crawling, stopped traffic for over an hour without any apparent cause.

Soon afterwards, I saw that Science Daily announced that a team of mathematicians have developed a model that explains why this happens:

"Their model revealed that slowing down below a critical speed when reacting to such an event, a driver would force the car behind to slow down further and the next car back to reduce its speed further still. The result of this is that several miles back, cars would finally grind to a halt, with drivers oblivious to the reason for their delay."

So, the lesson for drivers seems to be one that is common-sense (yet always seems to bear repetition) - stay alert and react quickly but appropriately to the traffic around you.

One way to demonstrate this concept at home is to take out a sleeve of plastic cups and a stopwatch and sit at the kitchen table. Have everyone sit around the table, except for one person who runs the stopwatch. Mark one of the cups to identify it as the "lead car" and time how long it takes to pass it around the table. Then add additional cups, with a 1-minute penalty if any of the cups touch each other as they are passed around the table. It will take longer each time for the lead cup to get from start to finish. This should be a good demonstration of the ripple effect of adding variables (traffic).

It's interesting to see how some complex scientific and mathematic theories (such as chaos theory, in this case) affect our everyday lives!

Cool Tools: School is in session!

Hi everyone, Nancy here.

Can you believe it? Durham Public Schools (DPS) Staff, Students and Teachers on the traditional calendar are already in their second month of school.  We have already got our first round of science kits back to refurbish as our friends on the Year-Round calendar have tracked out. We are very busy in the resource center and at our off site location at Durham Public Schools Internal Services preparing to turn these science units around so that they will be ready for the next rotation.

Over the summer,SERC staff had the pleasure of sitting alongside DPS teachers at a staff development session at Oak Grove Elementary. We were treated to two dynamic hands-on sessions on the 6 E Model of learning. There is a great article here from the National Science Teachers Association that talks about the model and how it is changing learning in the classroom by reaching all kinds of learners and creating lasting connections. DPS teachers are implementing this method in their science instruction and it's design is also providing opportunities for cross-curricular learning in math, language arts and social studies as well as physical education and the arts.

The SERC has 6E resources available for review in our library for pre-service educators and current teachers. Parents and caregivers are welcome to peruse these to gain a better understanding of what their children are experiencing and we can give you tips on how to support your children's teachers.

There are two links I got from the workshops that I found very useful and I wanted to share them. The first is Teachnet, a website that has lesson plans and ideas in all subjects that other educators contribute.

Mathematics is a strand that is pervasive throughout our school career and our lives. A fun way to learn and review math concepts is through my second recommendation, analyzemath.com. As I'm helping my 13 year old with his schoolwork, I find this site to be helpful, especially for someone like me who has "fuzzy" recollections of middle and high school math. The site has all kinds of math concepts and has engaging computer-generated problems to solve.

Don't forget the SERC for all your "Back to School" resource needs. Besides our extensive science collection, we have a wide array of math games and manipulatives (suitable for Pre-K-5th grade) available for loan.

Here's to a great school year!

Stay tuned and stay curious,
-Nancy

Cool Tools: Bird Feeder Activity!

We talked about posting activities for people to do at home, so here is the first one..pretty basic!

What you need: A bowl of Cheerios (plain)
Pipe-cleaner (one per feeder)
What to do: Thread Cheerios onto the pipe-cleaner, you should fill it up! Then, bend the pipe-cleaner into a circle and twist the tips together to secure the feeder. Now you have created a bird feeder in seconds! You can hang them on a tree or outside of a window to watch the action! Its quick, cheap and environmentally friendly!!! Don't forget to remove the pipe-cleaners from the tree when the birds are done.
Want to do more? An option for continuing this activity is to make lots of these feeders and hang them all over your yard, at many different heights! Observe and keep a log of the feeders!

• Write down everything you see
• The different species of birds at each feeder
  
• Are the same species of birds at every feeder or just that one because of its height?
• Can you see the birds beaks?
• Draw comparisons between all the birds
• Whose feeder still has the most Cheerios after one week, whose has the least?
• Which height is the most popular?

There are many more things you can do with this simple idea! Play around and let me know of any cool observations!!

P.S. Watch out for Squirrels! They LOVE Cheerios ;)

Kit Tidbit: Science In A SHOEBOX? A new edition at the SERC

As many of you know we have something called "Science In A Suitcase" (SIAS) kits here at the Museum; which can be rented by educators, parents, home schoolers, etc. They are one of the great resources in the SERC, but a new thought has popped up. What about creating a science kit that is very similar to our SIAS kits, but smaller...really small...something a parent can rent and complete in a weekend??? So- we let our minds wander a bit and then came back to the table with this new idea.

It will be smaller, have between 3 and 5 activities for each topic, still have the activity guides and the kits will have all the materials included (i.e. hand lenses, books, field guides...). And so Science In A SHOEBOX was born! We chose 3 kit topics from our SIAS kit list to start with: Rocks, Eco Explorers and From Seed to Plant. I have already started creating the prototype for the Rocks kit, now I have to create a little activity guide, gather ALL the materials for the kit, find a functional container for the kit and then show it off and see how it goes!

I am excited that we are going to be creating these mini-SIAS kits! They are going to be less expensive to rent then the SIAS kits and will hopefully be more functional for the average parent, babysitter or awesome parent whose child is having a birthday and has run out of ideas to keep the kids busy!!

So, right now I am at a stopping point with this little project. I am hopefully going to be able to take pictures soon and I will get them up so you will be able to see all of my works in progress!!

Now, I have some questions for you! Would you be interested in Science in a Shoebox? What kits or topics would you like to see us adapt for smaller groups? How many kids should Science in a Shoebox be set up for - is 5 kids enough, or should we provide enough materials for up to 8 kids? Let us know in the comments section!

Citizen Science: TechShop is coming!

Hi everyone, Nancy here.

At the Museum, there is never a shortage of tinkering going on. Whether it be someone on the facilities staff trying to safely extract a broken bulb from a light fixture or the exhibits technicians working on the propulsion rocket exhibit or our staff mechanic maintaining our train engine, there are always opportunities to creatively solve problems and create new things.

Growing up, both my dad and older brother were both into working on cars and motorcycles. These days as a hobby, my brother still designs and builds engines for IHRA class dragsters. When dad wasn't doing automotive restoration, he indulged in other hobbies like building and repairing shortwave radios and telegraphs and woodworking. My mom was very patient and tolerant of all of the random things that entered our home and the things that never left...We had a spare room and a shop in our basement so there was plenty of space to work.

DIY and hobbies serve a lot of benefits for people. They can reduce stress, aid in problem-solving and memory retention and some projects can even save you money. Sometimes, ideas and materials can get so big that there isn't always space to work on them where you live. Enter a very cool concept called TechShop.

TechShop is a membership-based workshop that gives you and other creative people access to a wide variety of tools and equipment, expert training and classes on how to use them and introduces you to a wide community of people who like to think big and make cool things.

Check out the TechShop community website to learn more.

Stay tuned and stay curious,
-Nancy

Kid Tidbit:Raise a Reader

Hi Everyone, Nancy here.

One of things I love about working here at the Museum of Life and Science is that I am surrounded by great books both in my office (behind Play to Learn) and in the SERC. I love to read and it's so good to have access to resources that assist me in planning fun activities when I'm out in the community.

The Museum is pleased to be a community partner with the Durham County Library (DCL). Megan and I greeted library patrons and shared some butterfly experiences at the Summer Reading kickoff in June. You can learn more about the program by visiting the DCL's website. Also, Megan, Kristen and I have been spending part of our summer with patrons at the historic Bragtown branch, talking about all kinds of insects. The millipede, hissing cockroaches, crayfish and tarantula have been joining in on the fun too! Our last visit for the summer there was in August. We had a great time talking with the children about ladybird beetles or ladybugs as they are more commonly known. They play an important role in our butterfly house as they help eat all the aphids or plant lice off of the tropical plants. They serve as natural biocontrol so that there's no use of harmful chemicals.

Many of our books come from Scholastic Publishing. Their website is a great launching pad for families wanting to foster their children's interest in reading. There are suggested book lists for different age groups, activities, links to your child's classroom home page through Scholastic and tips on how to help with your child's education at each developmental stage and grade level. This is also a great site for caregivers, educators and librarians.

We have lots of great books available in the SERC for loan and you can visit your local library as well. You can even browse Durham County Library's catalog online.

Oops! My library books are actually due back soon! Thankfully, another service they provide is online renewal...

So many of our staff here are avid readers and swap books back and forth with each other. One of our departments even started their own book club!

"So many books, so little time."
-artist Edward Gorey

Stay tuned and stay curious,
-Nancy

Kit Tidbit:Getting ready for a DPS kit rotation!

The resource center has so many functions! We are here for our own employees, our members, teachers, home schoolers and parents. We also work with Durham Public Schools (DPS) to supplement their science curriculum. The students get a chance to get down and dirty with science!!!

This is going to be a super quick overview of DPS's Science Initiative...I know you're excited :) The program works with Kindergarten through 6th grade. There are 4 kit topics per grade level, all are designed to target the NC Standard Course of Study. We (The Museum) help DPS by refurbishing all of these kits. The schools receive them on a rotational basis, and they will get all 4 kit titles each year. Every kit is unique, with everything needed for all the experiments from pencils and paper down to the gravel and animal cards!

One kit in every grade receives a title that is animal focused. This means that it comes with an animal card; which means when the teacher receives the kit, she will order his/her animals for that kit. They will come to him/her in the mail. These science kits are really cool and there's no better way to learn than to actually use your hands and do it!

So, we are getting ready for our third rotation this year, we have about 3 weeks to refurbish
A LOT of kits! We are making labels, counting supplies, shopping and getting mentally prepared to do this! It's a lot of work, but it is such an awesome program and that makes it totally worth it!

(This picture is of the first grade Solids and Liquids kit!)

Citizen Science: Light Up The Night

Hi everyone, Nancy here.

As the nights have been getting cooler, my family and I have been spending more time sitting outside together on our porch and I have noticed that we haven't seen as many fireflies or "lightning bugs" as my son calls them. We went out last night and took part in our usual ritual of catch and release but didn't end up finding very many. My son was perplexed as to why there weren't very many. My husband thought it had something to do with the temperature.

Megan (also of SERC fame) found a post about this initiative that the Boston Museum of Science is doing to track fireflies and learn more about why they seem to be disappearing. There is some great information on this site to help you get involved in this project. It is a great family science opportunity. Check it out!

Stay tuned and stay curious,
-Nancy

Cool Tools: Another great resource!

As I have been working on our Science in a Shoebox kits, I have come across a few great websites full of science activities, recommended books, games and much more! The latest one is from the makers of The Magic School Bus, Scholastic.
This site is great! They have a different, easy, at home science experiment each week. They also give you opportunities to learn more about that topic! So, if you have a need for a great science activity...you should check it out!

Teachers In Need!

Hi guys! This post is a little off topic, but not really. I found this site as I was looking for more science resource websites to share with you! Its called DonorsChoose.

This site is designed for the teachers that need classroom materials and for the people who want to donate but don't know where to put their money! You might be in one of these situations yourself; you can scroll through other proposals, read stories, get ideas, submit your own project or donate to someone else's!

This could be a great idea for your child's school OR an idea for the teachers holiday gift!

If anyone post's or donates to this site, let us know so we keep track of the projects!

Thanks:)

Cool Tools: Teacher Tube!

Have you ever needed a quick, easy and modern way to communicate something in your science class...like a video!?! This site is specifically designed for teachers and teachers only, it is called Teacher Tube. It has tons of videos ranging from this one (Bill Nye) to Schoolhouse Rock all the way to clips of teachers rapping about fractions!

There are many advantages to this website: there is no inappropriate content, you can post your own video clip, the information is useful & current. Sometimes it is nice to see how other teachers convey their ideas and principals on certain topics and materials.

I included this clip of Bill Nye because he has a fantastic way of teaching science concepts and relating it to real life...all through a tv! Enjoy this site and if anyone adds their own video, let me know! I would love to see how you are teaching science!

Nice to meet you!

Greetings friends!

Nancy here. Most of you have seen me out and about either at the Museum or out in the community sometime over the last 10 years. Many of you call me "the Museum Lady" and I have been proud to serve teachers, families and students in our Resource Center.

We hope our blog will be a launching point for you to make all kinds of science, math and life discoveries. We can't wait to hear about some of the cool things you have done and hope you'll share your experiences with us.

I haven't been the most computer savvy (but I'm excited to learn more!) and I'm certain some of you will sympathize with me as I begin my blogging journey. You have always been able to call, email me and come by and visit. Think of these posts as another way we can stay in touch.

Stay tuned and stay curious!

-Nancy

Hello World - Welcome to the SERC!

Hi, Hey, Hello! My name is Kristen Wolfe. I am a Science Education Resource Center (SERC) Assistant at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC. I am creating a blog to tell people about the awesome resources we have available. Upcoming posts will talk about new things we are doing, interesting science topics and ideas from websites and community contacts. We want to be a general science contact for inquiring minds!!

In the weeks to come, there will be new posts from my colleagues. Until then, I want to tell you a little bit about Science in a Suitcase kits. They are a great RESOURCE for parents, teachers, home schoolers, babysitters or any one working with kids!! These age-specific kits are aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study - everything you need for a fantastic science experience is included! AND there are discounts for MEMBERS!!!:).