Now Introducing....Lacy!

We have gone through many changes in the SERC lately...but the most exciting is gaining a new colleague...Lacy! She has been volunteering with us for about 6 months; refurbishing DPS science kits, SIAS kits and helping clean up our building. She was in need of a career change and we were in need of a new addition to our team.

Welcome to the museum Lacy!

Citizen Science: Butterfly Bash- Dare Cafe!

This year was our 10th Anniversary of the Magic Wings Butterfly House, so we celebrated it with Butterfly Bash this year!  There were many new exhibitors and some veteran ones too!  If you remember from my last BFB post, I told you about Dare Cafe!  We talked about Entomophagy, different types of insects to try, the nutritional value and we got it all on video!  

Brad (he is in charge of our Nanoscale Science programs and research at MLS!!) and I made this awesome video of Dare Cafe!  It highlights some unforgettable moments from the program and shows off many of our members and visitors loving bugs! It will make you want to come to our bash NEXT year and experience this!

A big thanks to everyone who participated in Dare Cafe, to Brad for the help with this video and to Nancy and Uli for making the bash possible!  The amount of hard work that goes into these events is mind blowing, it really makes me appreciate my fellow life and sciencers! 

Here are pictures taken by a member.  Her whole family really dug into this program and raised the bar for everyone (young and old) to give it a try! Thanks Maya!! 

Did you make it on the video?  If so, tell us how it turned out!  We are very proud of our productions here and we love feedback! 

Cool Tools: Hey Kool Aid! Oh Yeah!

Hi everyone, Nancy here.

I am a bit of a vintage TV commercial connoisseur and thought the old Kool Aid ads were hilarious. You'd see these children out playing sports or games in the hot sun. The one thing they know that can bring them relief is a nice, ice-cold pitcher of their favorite flavored drink mix. So they beckon for the giant mascot represented as said ice-cold pitcher and he breaks through a brick wall bringing the children something cool and fruity to drink. I have been calling for him myself when I am outside walking in Explore the Wild on hot summer days and he has yet to surface. Oh well...

So, I promised in this episode that I'd provide a food-based activity for you all to try. It is one I created for our Summer Science Camp, "Snack Science". One of the days, we focus on food that contains crystals. We examine sugar and salt crystals and look at the crystalline structure. We put a teaspoon of each in some bug boxes with a lid that acts as a magnifier. It is a great way for children to really get a good look at the individual crystals.

We also look at powdered drink mixes like Kool Aid and use it in activities from everything like chromatography to making a textured and scented modeling dough. Making dough is a great activity. Not only does it introduce science process skills like measuring, comparing and observation, but it also teaches children to follow directions in order to perform an experiment and create something they can use for fun sensory enrichment.

To make scented modeling dough, you'll need:


1 cup flour
1/2 cup of salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp unsweetened powdered drink mix
1tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup of water
food coloring to your liking

Put dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir together .
Add oil and water. Stir until dough is formed. Add food coloring to create hues.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is the same color and all of the drink mix crystals have dissolved.
Have fun playing with the dough, rolling it flat, making a ball and whatever else you try!
NOTE: Keep your play-dough in a plastic resealable bag to keep it fresh so it will last a long time.

Incorporate kitchen tools like crust crimpers, garlic presses, cookie cutters and rolling pins to create new shapes. Enjoy!

You can do some online research yourself or contact us for more ideas on how to incorporate Kool Aid in your hands-on activity. Check out this link about how you can use it to dye wool!

Stay tuned and stay curious,
-Nancy

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: 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

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

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