Visiting Mr Romard's Class...

Science
We will play a mystery circuit game to determine how wires are setup behind a hidden display. We will learn how to read simple electrical diagrams and how to make a bulb super bright. Students will be asked to bring a used bulb from home so we can break it inside a bag to identify the parts and discuss how it works.

Read more here:
http://teachers.saschina.org/mromard/2010/02/25/electrifying-science/

Batteries

At http://www.monkeysee.com/play/6354-how-to-make-a-potato-battery one can see a demonstration on making and using potato batteries to light an LED. The video does use a fair amount of vocabulary on basic electricity, however, it does show well how to use meters and how to connect batteries in parallel and in series.

An interesting activity is to show how common battery cells can be linked together inside of a larger battery container to make a battery with more voltage.

A tour to a battery factory would be a nice follow-up. It would help show real world applications for the lessons.

Science of Transistor Radios

Today's column listed an article on the transistor radio:
Transistor radio story posted October 18, 2008

The story offers a good way to interest some people in science and engineering. For example, a comparison and contrast could be done on the effect of transistor radios and MP3's on teen culture, someone might want to build a transistor radio or a computer, one might study electricity, someone else might study sound waves. A news story on historical development of the transistor radio could, thus, lead to a class full of students working on science activities, all different, yet, linked by the transistor radio. Because the students could select something of interest to them, it is likely they would be engaged in their studies.

More Sources:

1. http://www.vintageprojects.com/radio/transistor-radio.pdf
2. http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathkit
4. http://www.retrothing.com/2006/03/heathkit_h8_dig.html
5. http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/06/23/the-new-heathkit-personal-computing-systems/
6. http://www.heathkit-museum.com/hvmhstory.shtml
7. http://www.heathkit-museum.com/computers/hvmec-1.shtml
   
8. [Please add more in comment sections, if you know of good links. Thanks.]
   

Have fun,

Dr. J

Solar power leads to sustainability... What do you think?

Watch this video and think about it. Compare and contrast your life to what you see in this video. Evaluate it based on what you know of science of solar power and on your own value system. Try writing about it. Do you know of other ways to use science to improve sustainability of the Earth and concurrently end poverty? Does charity overlap with science? Reflection using your science skills helps make informed decisions...


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I have added another video that I found later:

Power at its Source

The government has descriptive sites on energy production. One of them is on producing electricity from water, that is, hydroelectric power. The process is illustrated in an easy to follow format.

Water can be used to produce power:
Look at a hydroelectric power system- http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html

See a turbine- http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyturbine.html

Wind can also be used to generate power:

Great basic information on Windmills and...Many more links inside this one: http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19268_20778-52098--,00.html

American Windmills- http://www.windmills.net/

Fuel-less Power- http://www.fuellesspower.com/windmills2.htm

Discussion of Windmill Efficiency- http://www.nov55.com/wdm.html

Photos of Historical Windmills:
Photo of operational windmill in Australia- http://members.ozemail.com.au/~thelily

Photo of a windmill in Gardiner, NY (by Mike Rega)- http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/?id=2957565&refnum=548652

Photo of the Hook Windmill- http://www.answers.com/topic/east-hampton-town-new-york?cat=travel

A gallery of 50 photographs of windmills-
http://www.windmillersgazette.com/gallery.html

The Beebe Windmill- http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/

Modern Windmills-
The Dump that becomes a park (with windmills)- http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/01/youll_be_able_to_frolick_in_a.html

Windmills at NYU- http://www.nyu.edu/nyutoday/archives/20/04/PageOneStories/Wind-Power.html

Tiny windmill powers workshop- http://picasaweb.google.com/slothmuffin/PhotoADay/photo#5082014917530784274

Paintings of Windmills-
Walter C. HARTSON, (American, 1866): Dutch landscape with windmills and a figure in a boat- http://www.burchardgalleries.com/auctions/2002/jan2002/l027a.jpg

Herman A. Webster (American, 1878-1970)- http://www.timsmills.info/Journal/BULLET61.HTM

Map of Windmills in Manhattan-
Map-http://www.sunysb.edu/libmap/img0009.jpg

More information on the map- http://www.sunysb.edu/libmap/Manatus.htm

Windmills on the farm-
Grants for farm windmills- http://www.elpc.org/energy/farm/index.php?gclid=CKzbkaSewZACFTyKOAodDCYSZg

Perhaps you have developed an interest in other uses of windmills-

http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs333a,0,6371263.story

Commercial sources that may provide information on windmills (Listing does not constitute endorsement; Other commercial providers may submit links via comments)-

Beckermills
Brasada
Bask
Gaiam
windmilloutlet


You can generate power by turning a crank:

http://www.nextag.com/crank-generator/search-html

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/catalog/p_el-genhand.html

It would be good to work with pin wheels, water wheels or crank generators in lab activities or experiments to help understand the points made. Similarly field trips to old mills, singing, "Old Mill Stream," or visiting a farm where a wind mill is used, or touring the windmills of New York State (part of the Dutch settlers' cultural heritage and positive influence on the state), or in several other other states (Illinois, Indiana,Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa ...), would also enhance learning about sustainable energy and power generation. (If you know a good website on windmills in your state, please add it to the comments.)

Some foundations work to reduce global warming. Here are some (Listing does not constitute endorsement; Other foundations and organizations may submit links via comments)-

http://www.carbonfund.org/

https://www.greentagsusa.org/GreenTags/index.cfm

Adopt a windmill- http://www.communityenergy.biz/adopt/adopt_windmill.html

Read more:

Baker, T. Lindsay. A Field Guide to American Windmills. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1985. (Large volume—the ultimate windmill resource.)

Dennis, Landt. Catch the Wind: A Book of Windmills and Windpower. NY: Four Winds Press, 1976.

Ellis, Edward Robb, The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History. Carroll and Graf, Publishers, 2004.

Torrey, Volta. Wind Catchers: American Windmills of Yesterday and Tomorrow. Brattleboro, VT: The Stephen Greene Press, 1976.

Woelfle, Gretchen. The Wind at Work: An Activity Guide to Windmills. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 1997.

A Link of Interest found while searching windmills...
Farm Math for Young Children: http://www.michigan.gov/hal/Publish Post0,1607,7-160-15481_19268_20778-52087--,00.html